THE NEW YORK TIMES: Swiss authorities say the fire was probably sparked by small fireworks on champagne bottles that ignited foam insulation on the bar’s basement ceiling.
The two managers of a bar in the Swiss Alps where at least 40 people died in a sudden fire this week have been placed under criminal investigation because of allegations of negligence, Swiss police said on Saturday[.]
The investigation was opened on Friday night over suspicions of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and causing a fire by negligence, according to a statement from the police in the Valais canton, the area of Switzerland where the bar is located.
The police statement did not detail what evidence had led to the criminal investigation, nor did it name the managers of the bar, an establishment called Le Constellation in the center of Crans-Montana, a popular ski resort town in southern Switzerland.
Public business records identify the owners of the bar as a French couple, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who opened it in 2015. As of Saturday, the Morettis had not responded to earlier requests for comment from The New York Times. In brief interviews with the Swiss media this week, they said they were fully cooperating with investigators and denied any wrongdoing. » | Aurelien Breeden | Reporting from Crans-Montana, Switzerland | Saturday, January 3, 2026
