On January 1st, 2026, a fire broke out in Le Constellation bar located in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana.

The fire was caused by sparklers getting too close to the bar’s ceiling as over 100 people were inside celebrating the new year. The blaze spread throughout the bar very quickly, blocking emergency exits and causing a blockade at the front entrance.

Victims

Emergency responders rushed to the scene, but ultimately 40 people were killed and 116 were injured. Half of these victims were younger than 18, and the youngest was only 14 years old. Most of them were from Switzerland, France, and Italy.

What caused this event, and what happens next?

In the days after the fire, officials began investigating the tragedy and found that the bar had not met certain safety requirements. The ceiling was made of a very flammable insulating material, which had not been properly installed and was too exposed, leading to a more rapid spread of the fire. The staircase leading out of the basement was dangerously narrow, causing a bottleneck when people tried to escape. Former employees have claimed that fire extinguishers were stored in locked rooms and one of the emergency exits was kept locked as well.

It is also known that the bar hadn’t had a safety inspection since 2019, despite being required to have one every year. A criminal complaint has been filed against the officials responsible for providing these annual safety inspections.

An investigation has also been opened against the two owner-managers of the bar, who are being suspected of homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence. One owner, Jacques Moretti, has been detained and is awaiting trial.