A Swiss bar where 40 people died in a New Year's Eve fire has been found to have had no fire safety inspections carried out for seven years. Le Constellation, which is located in the resort town of Crans-Montana, was subject to a series of annual checks between 2016 and 2019, but none were conducted between 2020 and 2025. According to local authorities, these long intervals mean that the bar's soundproofing measures may not have been up-to-date.
An investigation into the fire has suggested that the use of sparkling candles at the bar was a contributing factor to its ignition, with the flames getting too close to the ceiling. Authorities are now trying to determine whether the bar's management was aware of any potential safety issues and took adequate precautions.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which occurred on New Year's Day when around 100 guests were present at a party. The victims included nine French nationals, among them a 14-year-old girl who was one of the youngest casualties.
As authorities continue to probe into what happened on that fateful night, concerns are being raised about how many people could have been in the bar and whether all necessary safety regulations had been followed.
In response to the tragedy, local authorities have decided to ban the use of fireworks indoors and order regular inspections of establishments in a bid to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
An investigation into the fire has suggested that the use of sparkling candles at the bar was a contributing factor to its ignition, with the flames getting too close to the ceiling. Authorities are now trying to determine whether the bar's management was aware of any potential safety issues and took adequate precautions.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which occurred on New Year's Day when around 100 guests were present at a party. The victims included nine French nationals, among them a 14-year-old girl who was one of the youngest casualties.
As authorities continue to probe into what happened on that fateful night, concerns are being raised about how many people could have been in the bar and whether all necessary safety regulations had been followed.
In response to the tragedy, local authorities have decided to ban the use of fireworks indoors and order regular inspections of establishments in a bid to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
... 40 people die in a bar fire and no one's been inspecting it for years? That's just insane 
. And now they're saying the sparkly candles might've been the cause? Like, who puts candles near the ceiling? 
And what about all those guests who were inside when this happened? It's like they just left them to burn 
. I don't get how no one noticed anything was off... were they even paying attention? 
. This is a total wake-up call for all these bars and clubs in the resort town, gotta make sure safety regulations are on point 
. Can't believe it took this tragedy to make them take action 
.
... this is just horrific. I mean, I know we can't be too harsh on Le Constellation's management, but seven years without a fire safety inspection? That's, like, totally unacceptable. I guess they were probably trying to save costs and all, but no way, it's not worth risking lives 
.
. That's just so unfair, and I hope they can get a good lawyer or something to help them out.
. Banning fireworks indoors is a great idea, and regular inspections will definitely help. We should all be supporting the people who are trying to make things right here 
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This is just devastating! I mean, can you imagine if your favorite bar catches fire on NYE? 
. And those sparkling candles... who knew they were a hazard 
? 
, especially that poor 14-yr-old girl 
. i'm glad ppl r speakin out and demand more safety standards. hopefully this tragedy turns into somethin positive and ppl start takin precautions 
and now the authorities are trying to figure out if the management knew about any safety issues 
and those regular inspections are about time too, hopefully it helps prevent more accidents like this from happening 
. But more importantly, I hope this tragedy leads to real change in terms of safety regulations 
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. I mean, I get that things can slip through the cracks, but this is just unacceptable. The fact that the soundproofing measures weren't up-to-date because of these long intervals makes me shudder 
Clearly not... Anyway, my heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy 
And to think those ppl were partying and enjoying themselves on New Year's Eve, and then BAM! This happens. I'm still trying to process how this all went down and how it was allowed to go on for so long without anyone stopping it. 
The fact that they've arrested two people is a start, but what about the owners/management? Were they aware of any safety concerns? Did they do anything to address them? So many questions...