CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Swiss authorities said on Tuesday that the bar that burst into flames in an upscale ski resort, killing 40 people at New Year, had not had a mandatory annual inspection since 2019, underlining concerns about what safety measures were in place.
The office of the mayor of the town of Crans-Montana said the bar had no fire alarm, because it was not required for a venue of that size. Other questions remain about the fire that killed or injured people from all over the world.
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WHO WERE THE VICTIMS?
Twenty-one of the dead were from Switzerland, seven from France, six from Italy, and there was a Swiss-French dual national and a French-British-Israeli national. The remaining four were Romanian, Turkish, Belgian and Portuguese.
The dead included 26 teenagers. Six were 15 years old, while two were only 14.
The 116 injured included citizens of over a dozen countries. Most were Swiss. Twenty-one were from France, and 10 were Italian. Aside from four with French-Finnish, Swiss-Belgian, French-Italian, and Italian-Filipino dual citizenship, nationals of Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Australia, Luxembourg, Congo Republic, Serbia, Poland and Bosnia made up the rest.
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HOW DID THE FIRE START?
Prosecutors believe sparkling candles ignited the ceiling of the basement of “Le Constellation” bar after witnesses reported seeing a staff member on the shoulders of a colleague carrying bottles with so-called fountain candles in them.
WHY DID THE CEILING CATCH FIRE?
The basement ceiling was covered with foam soundproofing material deemed acceptable at the time of the bar’s last safety check in 2019. Swiss law does not require authorities to verify such materials, but Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Feraud said the courts must determine whether this should have been done anyway.
HOW MANY EXITS WERE THERE?
Feraud said the bar had an upstairs and a downstairs exit, with each floor intended to hold up to 100 people. He could not say whether the downstairs exit was working. That will be revealed by the investigation.
WHY WERE SOME OF THE VICTIMS MINORS?
Residents of Crans-Montana said the bar was popular among school-age teenagers just starting to go out at night. In Switzerland, beer and wine can be consumed from age 16. The average age of those killed in the blaze was 19.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE BAR’S OWNERS?
Swiss prosecutors have placed the bar’s two French owners under criminal investigation on suspicion of three crimes: homicide by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and fire by negligence. They have not yet been formally charged and are not in custody.
WHAT PENALTIES COULD THEY FACE?
If convicted of all three crimes, they could incur a maximum sentence of 4-1/2 years, according to Swiss lawyer Nicolas Rivard. If found to have known of the fire risk without taking preventative measures, they could face more severe charges carrying a sentence of at least five years, he said.
WHAT LEGAL REDRESS IS OPEN TO FAMILIES?
Class action cases do not exist in Switzerland. Families of the victims could seek compensation by joining the prosecutor’s case as plaintiffs, lawyers said. Crans-Montana is trying to join the case as a party, but it has not been approved yet.
HOW HAVE SWISS AUTHORITIES REACTED?
Switzerland’s cantons have suspended plans to relax fire safety regulations. Crans-Montana has banned sparkling candles in its venues. Flags are flying at half-mast, and Friday will be a day of national mourning.
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