No safety checks were carried out after 2019 at the club that was destroyed by fire on New Year’s Eve while driving, the president of the Swiss ski resort community admitted during a press conference.
“We deeply regret this. We had no indications that the inspections had not been carried out at “Le Constellation”, said Nicolas Ferro regarding the complete absence of inspections during the period 2020-2025.
According to prosecutors investigating the circumstances of the tragedy, it is most likely that the fire broke out when sparks from sparklers reached the ceiling, which was made of soundproof synthetic panels, which ignited and contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Fire inspections must be carried out every year in the town’s bars and the last inspection of 2019 at “Le Constellation” was positive, Nicolas Ferro explained to reporters.
The soundproofing material in the ceiling of the basement club was deemed acceptable during the 2019 inspection, while due to the size of the bar it was not mandatory to install a fire alarm.
“There was never any testing done on this soundproofing foam. Our security officials did not consider it necessary,” he said.
The president-mayor of Crans-Montana has announced that these types of sparkly candles are now banned in the town’s dining areas.
Authorities are investigating the bar’s owners, who are suspected of a series of negligent crimes. According to the police, their arrest is not warranted at this time and that they are not considered fugitive suspects.
Nicolas Ferro said that the local authorities closed another bar belonging to the owners of “Le Constellation”.
