Overview
- A Valais coercive measures court on Monday ordered co-owner Jacques Moretti into pre-trial detention for an initial three months, citing a concrete flight risk, while his wife remains free under judicial controls.
- The owners are formally suspected of homicide by negligence, bodily injury by negligence and fire by negligence in a blaze that killed 40 people and injured 116, with the presumption of innocence maintained.
- Preliminary findings point to sparkler-style bottle fireworks igniting acoustic foam on the basement ceiling; Moretti told investigators a service door was locked from the inside and victims were found behind it.
- Crans-Montana authorities acknowledged no fire-safety inspection of the venue since 2019, intensifying questions over municipal oversight under cantonal rules.
- Italian authorities opened a parallel inquiry because some victims are Italian, with local media reporting preliminary claims of deaths on a narrowed staircase, and AFP debunked a viral video falsely portraying the co-owner fleeing with cash.