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Local authorities in the Swiss Alpine town of Crans-Montana said on Tuesday that the bar where a huge fire killed 40 people and injured 116 others had failed to undergo regular fire and safety inspections over the past five years.
“Regular inspections were not carried out from 2020 to 2025, and we deeply regret this,” Crans-Montana Mayor Nicola Ferro said at a press conference at the Alpine ski resort, five days after the accident at Le Constellation bar during New Year’s celebrations.
Fellows said he could not immediately explain why safety inspections were not conducted for so long. He said the council had “no indication that checks were not being carried out”.
Investigators said they believe the fire may have been caused by a sparkler candle on top of a champagne bottle placed too close to the ceiling during a New Year’s party at Le Constellation.
Authorities are investigating whether the soundproofing of the ceiling complied with regulations and whether sparkler candles were allowed inside the bar.
At a press conference, Mr. Fellows said that in September of last year, he had an outside expert conduct a soundproofing analysis, which concluded that the bar complied with noise abatement regulations.
However, Fellows said the experts did not examine the condition of the bar’s acoustic foam panels or whether they were “fire resistant.”
The mayor also announced a ban on all types of sparklers at local venues, saying the decision was “not surprising”.
Mr Ferrer said he had no intention of resigning and that it would be “up to the judge” to decide whether the council would take part in a criminal investigation into the fire.
Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the bar owner. According to Valais’ chief prosecutor, the pair are suspected of involuntary murder, involuntary bodily harm and involuntary causing a fire.
The severity of the burns in the early morning fire on New Year’s Day made it difficult to identify the victims, and their families were asked to provide DNA samples to authorities.
Investigators completed the identification of 40 of the dead on Sunday, and announced on Monday that they had the names of all 116 injured.