US EditionOwner of Swiss ski resort bar where 40 died in New Year's Eve party fire is arrested
Jacques Moretti was detained on suspicion of negligent manslaughter and arson after a fire killed 40 people, mostly teenagers, and injured over 100 at Le Constellation bar.
- On January 9, 2026, Jacques Moretti was detained in Sion and he and Jessica Moretti attended a hearing facing manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson charges.
- Prosecutors say sparklers raised to the ceiling ignited foam soundproofing beneath the basement ceiling on January 1, at 1.30am, starting the fire.
- The fire killed 40 people and injured 116, with victims aged 14–39, roughly half under 18, including seven French and six Italian nationals.
- Prosecutors have launched criminal probes into the bar's French owners, victims' families filed complaints, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin urged accountability 'without delay or leniency' at the Martigny ceremony.
- Local officials acknowledged missed safety inspections at the bar, reports said the safety route was illegal and at least one emergency exit locked, while Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni weighs banning indoor sparklers.
373 Articles
373 Articles
The operator of the bar was heard on Friday. He admitted that a door was locked – but it was not marked as an emergency exit.
Investigators probe bar safety lapses after fire
The minutes of the two managers of the Constellation bar were made public and set out their version of the facts. Their comments were collected only a few hours after the murderous fire of the establishment which caused 40 deaths and 116 injuries.
The French owner of the bar that burned down in Switzerland, causing 40 deaths on New Year's night, told researchers that a "service door" was blocked from the inside.
This could transform the charge of negligent homicide into intentional homicide in the Crans Montana fire.
After the fire in the bar Le Constellation with 40 dead, owner Jacques Moretti declared that a service door had been locked from the inside. Investigators are now examining how it came about and what the door meant for the victims.
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