The New Year's eve fire at a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland that killed 40 people including minors has triggered a criminal investigation and a widening public debate over alleged negligence and weak oversight.
The Valais cantonal prosecutor's office said the two managers of the bar have been put under criminal investigation on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent injury, and causing fire by negligence.
Prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said authorities obtained municipal reports on fire safety inspections and are reviewing whether the venue met required standards.
Public criticism, meanwhile, has focused on claims that minors were allowed into the venue and that alcohol was sold without adequate control, an issue that has prompted calls for the investigation to examine possible violations related to underage drinking rules.
In Switzerland, the legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol varies by type: 16 for low-alcohol beverages and 18 for spirits.
Media reports also highlighted the background of the bar's management. France's Le Parisien reported that the bar manager had been imprisoned in France around 20 years ago for crimes including fraud and prostitution-related offences. The managers were released pending trial, with prosecutors citing no flight risk.
Attention has also turned to the speed at which the fire spread and the venue's internal design. Swiss outlet Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that the soundproofing materials seen burning quickly in footage may have been cheap and highly flammable, while experts cited in Swiss coverage suggested, based on photographs, that installation may not have been done correctly. Prosecutors said they are examining whether the materials complied with standards.
Another major claim concerns escape routes. The story said the stairs were the only obvious way out, and a regular customer alleged that an emergency exit was hidden in a smoking room and blocked by a sofa, a potential safety breach now part of the investigation.
The case has also raised questions about fire inspections. The venue's manager claimed it had been inspected only three times in 10 years and that no issues were found, while the Crans-Montana mayor said inspections are normally conducted annually or every two years, statements that are said to conflict with claims from some local business owners that checks had not been carried out for years.
Separately, criticism has been directed at staff actions during the outbreak of the fire, with accusations that employees did not stop the music or evacuate the venue quickly, potentially worsening the toll.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin called for a broad review of safety rules, saying even fire regulations should be reconsidered in light of the tragedy. Authorities continue to investigate the cause, while witnesses cited in the report suggested it may have started from sparkler candles attached to champagne bottles.
Swiss authorities reported 119 injured, many seriously, while Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani separately claimed the death toll was 47, a figure not confirmed by Swiss officials.
