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Crans-Montana Bar Fire Death Toll Rises to 41 as New Footage Highlights Stairwell Crush

Valais prosecutors have opened probes into suspected negligence, bodily harm, arson.

Overview

  • An 18-year-old patient died at a Zurich hospital about a month after the New Year’s Eve blaze, bringing the confirmed fatalities to 41.
  • A Swiss public-broadcaster documentary shows a survivor’s video from the basement with a burning foam ceiling, thick smoke and a crush at the lone stairway.
  • Investigators report the fire likely started when spark-emitting party fountains ignited the venue’s sound-absorbing foam ceiling.
  • Bar operators Jacques and Jessica Moretti are under suspicion, with Jacques released on bail, while staff reject the owners’ claim that an employee locked a service door and cite CCTV to dispute it.
  • Hospitals detail ongoing intensive care and advanced treatments, and a German burn center says two transferred patients are improving with one repatriated to Australia.