Valais Police said the final 16 victims were identified following the blaze at the Constellation bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of January 1. The tragedy ranks among the deadliest disasters in recent Swiss history and has plunged the country into mourning.
All 40 people who lost their lives in a devastating New Year’s Eve bar fire in Switzerland have now been formally identified, Switzerland Police said on Sunday, confirming that teenagers accounted for more than half of the victims.
Valais Police said the final 16 victims were identified following the blaze at the Constellation bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of January 1. The tragedy ranks among the deadliest disasters in recent Swiss history and has plunged the country into mourning.
The fire claimed at least 47 lives and also left more than 100 people injured, many with serious burns, overwhelming emergency services and hospitals in the immediate aftermath.
TEENAGERS AMONG THE DEAD
Police said 26 of the 40 victims were teenagers. Among them were a 14-year-old French national and a 14-year-old from Switzerland. Authorities have not released the names of most victims.
Of those killed, 21 were Swiss citizens, seven were French and six Italian. Other victims came from Romania, Turkey, Portugal and Belgium. The dead also included one Swiss-French dual national and a 15-year-old girl holding French, Israeli and British nationality.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said the country would observe a national day of mourning on Friday. Church bells will ring across Switzerland, and a minute’s silence will be held in remembrance of the victims.
“In this moment of reflection, everyone in Switzerland can personally remember the victims of the disaster,” Parmelin told the newspaper Sonntagsblick.
Prosecutors believe the fire may have started when “fountain candle” sparklers were held too close to the ceiling inside the bar. The region’s chief prosecutor said the investigation was continuing to determine how quickly the blaze spread and whether safety rules were breached.
In total, 119 people were injured in the incident. The Swiss government said on Sunday that 35 patients had been transferred from hospitals in Switzerland to specialised burn units in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy.
Police said two people who operated the bar are under criminal investigation on suspicion of offences including homicide by negligence. Following preliminary inquiries, prosecutors have also opened a probe into allegations of negligent bodily harm and negligently causing a fire.
The two individuals have not been named and have not been taken into custody. Police said there was no indication they would attempt to evade the investigation.
With inputs from agencies
