The whole of Switzerland is reeling from the tragedy in the popular Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana. On the night of January 1, a fire broke out in the Le Constellation bar, which, according to the police, left approximately 40 dead and 119 injured. A student managed to escape from the burning hell To Ferdinand Du Beaudiez (19). The young man spoke about the fateful night for the newspaper
Ferdinand wanted to enjoy the last day of the year with 7 friends, including his brother and his girlfriend, but the fun instantly turned into a fight for his life. As the fire began to spread through the premises, the student fought his way through the billowing flames to a narrow staircase and scrambled to safety.
“I grabbed my girlfriend’s hand and shouted at everyone: ‘get out!’ There were so many people on the stairs trying to escape that I let her go. I got to the top of the stairs but I fell to the ground,” he described the moment of terror. But Ferdinand went back to find his brother and friends. “I couldn’t leave them there” he added.
The dramatic situation worsened. “My first reflex was to cover my face with my hands and close my eyes. At that moment, someone must have opened the front door. Cold air got inside and gave the fire oxygen and it turned into a fireball. I felt it above my head and it slightly burned my neck,” he told the newspaper.
Ferdinand then saw a terrifying sight on the stairs. “I found someone lying on the stairs. He was completely burned. I couldn’t tell if it was a woman or a man. I could only see teeth,” shared the horror details. The young man wanted to help anyway. „Even the clothes were burnt. I grabbed the person’s hands and pulled them out on the ground. I went back a second time, but there was more smoke, I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t see anything,” he stated.
The student, who was on vacation with his family in the Alps, was taken to a makeshift triage center at a nearby sports center, where paramedics arrived to treat the injured. “As time went by, more and more people came in, more and more burned. At that point, the firefighters and paramedics were categorizing people. I was in green. There were also yellow and red and I suppose black cases as well, but they were taken to hospitals,” he continued.
Among the wounded is Ferdinand’s brother, who is in a coma, but everyone believes that he will survive. Patients are hospitalized in intensive care units in Switzerland, as well as in Italy, France, Germany and Belgium. The head of the burn center at the Zurich Children’s Hospital, Kathrin Neuhaus, said that some of her patients suffered burns to more than 70 percent of their bodies, including their lungs, and many suffered respiratory damage from smoke inhalation.
A day of mourning after the tragedy
Swiss President and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said that as a sign of solidarity with the injured and survivors, bells will be rung in all churches in Switzerland on January 9 at 2:00 p.m., at the beginning of the memorial service in Crans-Montana. At the same time, a minute of silence will be announced throughout the country for the victims of the tragedy.
The prosecutor’s office of the canton of Valais, where the luxury ski resort is located, assumes that the cause of the fire was careless handling of candles or sparklers. Valais canton chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said investigators will also examine the bar’s renovations, fire-fighting systems and escape routes, as well as the number of people in the bar at the time of the fire.
In connection with the fire, the prosecutor’s office announced on Saturday the initiation of a criminal investigation against the two owners of the bar – the French couple Jacque and Jessica Moretti -. who are suspected of the crimes of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson. During his visit to the scene of the tragedy, President Parmelin emphasized the need to find out the exact circumstances and causes of the fire. He also expressed gratitude to the countries that provide medical and logistical support for the treatment and care of those injured in the fire.
