Switzerland 'devastated' by New Year's fire tragedy which killed 40

Switzerland has been left "devastated" by the deadly Crans-Montana bar fire that killed 40 people and injured 116 celebrating the New Year, President Guy Parmelin told a national service of remembrance on Friday.

"Our country is devastated by this tragedy. We honour the memory of those who were lost, and we stand beside those now facing a long journey of recovery," he said at the ceremony in Martigny, southwest Switzerland's Wallis canton.

The Alpine country held a nationwide minute of silence, after which church bells rang across the country for five minutes in honour of those killed in the inferno, which engulfed the basement of Le Constellation, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Swiss president Guy Parmelin (third from right) attends a tribute for the victims of the New Year's fire. Photo: AFP

"The start of 2026 should have brought the familiar hopes and promises -- a new year with a fresh start. For young people especially, such promises take flight on dreams and the rightful hopes of youth -- promises destined for the skies that fell too soon into the ashes of a night of horror," Parmelin said at the service in Martigny, attended by around 1,000 people.

"Hope... depends on our justice system's ability to bring failures to light and to impose consequences without delay or leniency. This is a moral responsibility as well as a duty of the state."

French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Luxembourg's former grand duke Henri and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola were among those in attendance.

In an emotional address, Wallis president Mathias Reynard told the families and loved ones of those killed: "We are with you.

"Our thoughts, our prayers, our hearts turn towards you.

"In this shared grief, we stand united."

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola signing the book of condolences before the tribute ceremony in Martigny. Photo: AFP

Half of those killed in the blaze were under 18, including some as young as 14. Of those injured, 83 remain in hospital with several of those who were severely burnt airlifted to specialist centres across Switzerland and abroad.

Hours before the ceremony, the owners of Le Constellation, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, were seen arriving for a hearing at the office of the public prosecutor in Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais. 

The couple are facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

According to Swiss news outlet 24heures, Jacques Moretti was held under custody as he was deemed a "flight risk". 

Speaking to a Swiss journalist after the ceremony, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola insisted "justice must be done."

"Questions must be asked and answers must be found. We must not allow anything like this to happen again in Europe," Metsola said.

"As a mother with boys of the same age as many of the victims, I cannot imagine the unfathomable pain these families are suffering. Today, we stand and grieve united in solidarity. The European Union stands with you."

She highlighted how the EU Civil Protection mechanism was immediately activated to coordinate the disaster response, and extended gratitude to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, which have collectively taken in 35 critically injured patients into their specialist clinics.

Metsola also thanked all those countries that have offered and sent aid, and to the first responders who acted heroically under "horrible circumstances."

France's President Emmanuel Macron lays a floral wreath prior to a tribute ceremony for the victims, eight of whom were French. Photo: AFP

'Not doing their job'

Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni said the fire was due to people "not doing their job" or chasing "easy money".

"What happened in Crans-Montana is not a tragedy. What happened in Crans Montana is the result of too many people not doing their job or thinking they could make easy money," Meloni told journalists at her annual New Year's press conference in Rome.

"And those responsible must be identified and prosecuted."

On Friday afternoon, the premier will attend a mass for the six Italian victims of the fire at a church in Rome. 

Meloni said she had been struck by the fact that some of the young people remained in the basement bar, where the party music continued to play, even after flames broke out.

"Why wasn't it stopped? Why weren't these kids told to leave? Why didn't the municipality carry out checks?" she asked, referring to the lack of fire safety inspections at the bar for the past five years, as admitted by local officials.

Meloni confirmed that Rome's public prosecutor had opened a file on the case and vowed justice for Italian victims: "The families have my word that they will not be left alone as they seek justice in this matter."

While the prime minister said Italian regulations were "stricter" than those in the Swiss municipality, she questioned whether Italy should ban the use of sparklers in enclosed spaces.

Prosecutors believe the blaze started when champagne bottles with sparklers attached were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling in the bar's basement section.