Police identify 16 more victims of Crans-Montana bar fire

BBC
BBC
2d ago
Police said the latest identifications bring the total number of people identified as killed in the fire to 24.
Police identify 16 more victims of Crans-Montana bar fire
A What happened
Police said the bodies of 16 more victims of a bar fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana have been identified. Police said the youngest person was a Swiss girl aged 14 and nine were aged under 18. Police said the group includes people of Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish and French nationalities. The prosecutors' office for the Valais region said the French couple who own the bar are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

Key insights

  • 1

    Preliminary finding on likely cause: A preliminary investigation found sparklers on bottles being carried too close to the ceiling are the likely cause of the fire during New Year's celebrations at the bar.

  • 2

    Investigators examine ceiling foam: Valais canton lead prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said investigators were looking into whether the acoustic foam on the venue's ceiling was "the cause of the problem" and whether it complies with regulations.

Takeaways

Police said 24 people have been identified as killed in the Crans-Montana bar fire and a criminal investigation is under way.

Topics

Investigations Law & Public Safety Crime & Justice Accidents & Fires

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