Swiss bar in deadly blaze had missed six years of safety checks

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Reuters) — The Swiss bar where 40 people were killed in a fire over New Year’s had not been subjected to any annual safety inspections since 2019, the mayor of the ski resort of Crans-Montana said on Tuesday.

Swiss authorities have been searching for explanations for the blaze, which tore through the Le Constellation bar in the early hours of January 1. Most of the victims were teenagers, including an Israeli.

“We are deeply sorry. We had no indication that the checks had not been done as requested,” Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud told reporters, adding that bars in the town are meant to have such inspections each year.

Prosecutors have said the fire was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the ceiling of the bar’s basement, which was covered in a foam material used for soundproofing.

A video from New Year’s Eve 2019-2020 shared by Swiss broadcaster RTS showed revelers carrying similar sparklers in bottles as a waiter warns: “Watch out for the foam!”

Reuters could not immediately verify the video. Feraud said his team was not aware this type of party had taken place there.

Soundproof foam never tested

Feraud said Le Constellation had passed its last inspection in 2019. The soundproof foam on its ceiling was considered acceptable at the time, and a fire alarm was not required due to the bar’s size.

“These soundproof panels have never been inspected, as our safety managers apparently did not deem it necessary,” Feraud said.

He said the law does not oblige authorities to verify such materials, but “the courts will have to determine whether this should have been done regardless.”

Authorities are investigating the two people who ran the bar on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence. On Sunday, police said circumstances did not currently merit them being put under arrest, and they did not see a flight risk.

Feraud said authorities had closed another venue run by the pair and that sparkler candles that likely triggered the blaze had now been banned inside the town’s venues. Safety teams will immediately carry out extra inspections, he added.

Two exits

In addition to the 40 dead, at least 116 people were injured. The large number of victims has led to questions about whether the bar was overcrowded.

Feraud said its maximum capacity was 200 people, with emergency exits designed to cater for 100 people on each of its two levels. He said he did not know if the downstairs exit was working that night and that investigators would determine this.

Inspections were also conducted at the bar in 2016 and 2018, authorities said. Before then, the building that houses it sat in a different municipality before Crans-Montana’s creation in 2017, Feraud said.