Swiss inferno nightclub owners say they can't 'sleep nor eat' and defend safety of 'deathtrap' ski bar as investigators weigh manslaughter charges over disaster
The couple who own the Swiss nightclub where dozens perished in an inferno on New Year’s Eve have said they can’t 'sleep nor eat' following the tragedy as investigators consider pursuing manslaughter charges. The blaze began spreading across the basement of 'Le Constellation', a popular venue located in the centre of Crans-Montana, in the Valais canton, at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) on Thursday morning. Flames quickly grew across the club, which was filled with people from all over the world, consuming it in a raging fire that killed dozens. The inferno killed at least 40 people and another 119 were injured, authorities confirmed today - most of them in their teens and twenties with severe third-degree burns. While Swiss authorities confirmed 40 victims, the Italians said 47 were dead. Families are now facing an agonising wait, with parents scouring the resort for their missing loved ones. British-educated teenager Charlotte Niddam, who previously attended Immanuel College - a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire - is among those missing. The Daily Mail earlier revealed the owners of Le Constellation to be French couple Jacques Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica, 40, who was inside the bar when the blaze broke out and suffered burns to her arm. Mr Moretti, who was not in the venue, has now spoken out for the first time since the blaze, telling Swiss outlet 20 Minuten: 'We can neither sleep nor eat, we are all very unwell.' The bar owner also defended the safety of the nightclub after it emerged the venue was fitted with wooden furnishings and foam-style ceiling material and had only one narrow staircase for revellers trying to escape. Mr Moretti claimed that the club had been inspected three times in the past 10 years, adding: 'Everything had been done according to regulation.' He emphasised the couple - known as powerful figures in the Swiss hospitality industry - are cooperating with authorities, adding: 'We will do everything we can to help clarify the causes. We are doing everything in our power. Our lawyers are also involved.'
In This Article:
- Fire devastates Le Constellation as flames race through basement and claim lives
- Missing teenager Charlotte Niddam and the college’s plea
- Owners defend safety and cooperate with investigations
- Investigation expands to negligent homicide; charges potential
- New video footage and victims identified continue
Fire devastates Le Constellation as flames race through basement and claim lives
The blaze began spreading across the basement of Le Constellation, a popular venue in the centre of Crans-Montana, in the Valais canton, at around 1.30am local time (12.30am GMT) on Thursday morning. Flames quickly grew across the club, which was filled with people from all over the world, consuming it in a raging fire that killed dozens. The inferno killed at least 40 people and another 119 were injured, authorities confirmed today - most of them in their teens and twenties with severe third-degree burns. While Swiss authorities confirmed 40 victims, the Italians said 47 were dead. Families are facing an agonising wait as parents scour the resort for missing loved ones. The incident left many young victims and other guests badly burned, with emergency services working through the night to locate survivors and assist the injured.
Missing teenager Charlotte Niddam and the college’s plea
British-educated Charlotte Niddam is among the missing after a deadly fire tore through a bar in Crans-Montana. Immanuel College issued a statement confirming that Charlotte is missing: 'We are reaching out with an urgent request for our school community to come together in support of Charlotte Niddam,' the statement read. 'Charlotte was a student at Immanuel College, and her family have now moved back to France. 'The families have asked that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others, and want the families to feel the full strength of the Immanuel College community's support.' The missing teen’s picture was shared by the Crans-Montana avisderecherche Instagram account, which aimed to locate survivors. Friends at her former UK school posted tributes on TikTok, with messages from classmates describing her as kind and clever. Immanuel College described Charlotte as a student who lived in an affluent area near Watford, Hertfordshire before moving back to France. The teenager was described by a former neighbour as 'kind' and 'so clever.'
Owners defend safety and cooperate with investigations
The couple have already been questioned by authorities and may face manslaughter charges, according to Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for the Valais region. Pilloud said: 'We assume that the fire originated from sparklers attached to champagne bottles. From there, the ceiling caught fire. 'We are also looking at what materials were used. The issue of emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and the bar's occupancy is also being investigated.' She added: 'Our investigation also includes the foam on the ceiling. 'It is still unclear whether any individuals will face criminal charges. However, it is possible that an investigation for negligent homicide will be initiated.' She declined to comment on whether any action would be taken to prevent the couple from fleeing Switzerland, stating: 'There is currently no criminal liability.' Stéphane Ganzer, the state councillor in charge of security in Valais, said he wasn't aware of any safety deficiencies in the club, but admitted: 'I don't know when the municipality carried out the inspections. We haven't received any reports of deficiencies. However, we assume that the inspections were conducted.'
Investigation expands to negligent homicide; charges potential
Pilloud said a team of 30 are involved in the investigation, though the priority for authorities 'remains identifying the deceased so that the families can begin their grieving process.' Chief Inspector Pierre-Antoine Lengen said at the same press conference that another 30 people are involved in the identification process for the victims, with everyone looking at victims' DNA and dental records, as well as items they may have been carrying before they perished. But Lengen admitted that this process would take significant time and apologised to the families of those still waiting to hear of their loved ones' fates. As for those injured in the fire, Pilloud said the number of people affected may still go up, given that many of those in Le Constellation only checked themselves into hospital hours after the fire.
New video footage and victims identified continue
New footage shows the deadly flashover, when extreme heat caused everything inside the enclosed space to ignite almost at once, that left people little chance to flee. A photograph shared by survivors shows a waitress at Le Constellation sitting on the shoulders of a colleague while holding a sparkler in the air, moments before the deadly blaze ripped through the bar. The brave student who re-entered the building has since described his actions: 'The brave student has now told how he re-entered the burning Le Constellation basement bar twice in a desperate attempt to save his brother and girlfriend, trying to pull bodies from the flames as chaos and smoke filled the venue. He told how he found a badly burned person lying on the stairs and couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman: 'Their clothes were burned, I could only make out teeth.' 'I tried to grab this person who was really heavy, but there was no tension in their arm. I just slid him on the ground, then the police and firemen took over from me.'
