Half of 40 Fire Victims Were Minors... Switzerland Declares National Day of Mourning

Fire Spread Rapidly Due to Champagne Firework Sparks
Controversy Over Emergency Exits, Soundproofing Materials, and Fire Safety Inspections
Injured Victims Transferred to Burn Centers Across Europe

The identities of all 40 victims who lost their lives in the massive fire disaster at the ski resort of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais, southern Switzerland, at the very beginning of the new year have been confirmed. On January 5, Yonhap News, citing AFP and other foreign media, reported that the Valais police deployed the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team and completed the identification of all the deceased on January 4, three days after the fire.

The Swiss Federal Government has declared the 9th of this month as a national day of mourning to honor the victims. An official memorial ceremony is scheduled to be held in Crans-Montana on the day of mourning. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The nationalities of the deceased are as follows: 21 Swiss, 9 French, 6 Italian, and 1 each from Belgium, Portugal, Romania, and T?rkiye. Among the French nationals, one held dual Swiss citizenship and another held triple citizenship of Israel, the United Kingdom, and France. Among the Italian nationals, one was also a dual citizen of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The victims ranged in age from 14 to 39, with half of them being minors under the age of 18. It was reported that many of the youths and young tourists were gathered at the site, enjoying their winter holidays at the time.

The number of injured identified so far stands at 119, with Swiss nationals accounting for the majority at 71, followed by 14 French and 11 Italians. Of these, 35 suffered severe burns and have been transferred to specialized burn hospitals across Europe, including Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy, for treatment. The police have booked a French couple, who operated the bar "Le Constellation" where the fire broke out, on charges of involuntary manslaughter and arson by negligence, and have launched a full-scale investigation. Authorities believe that sparks from a handheld firework attached to a champagne bottle ignited the ceiling, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

Foreign media have raised the possibility that the soundproofing material used on the ceiling was highly flammable. In particular, the enclosed structure of the indoor space is thought to have contributed to the rapid spread of smoke and flames. The police plan to focus their investigation on the cause of the fire, whether emergency exits were secured, the installation status of fire extinguishing equipment, and compliance with fire prevention regulations. Local media have suggested that, depending on the outcome of the investigation, the fire authorities may also be held accountable for oversight and supervision.

The controversy has also extended to the history of safety inspections. The owners stated that they had undergone three fire safety inspections since acquiring the establishment in 2015, but there are suspicions that the legally required annual inspections may not have been properly conducted. There are also criticisms that, during remodeling, the width of the stairs connecting the basement and the first floor was narrowed, making evacuation more difficult.

This fire has been recorded as the deadliest incident in Switzerland since the Swissair airplane bombing in 1970, which claimed 47 lives. The Swiss Federal Government has declared January 9 as a national day of mourning to honor the victims. On the day of mourning, an official memorial ceremony will be held in Crans-Montana, and churches across the country will ring their bells and hold a moment of silence simultaneously. Amid these developments, there is a growing call throughout Swiss society to comprehensively re-examine fire safety standards for large multi-use facilities.