Romain Jordan, representing more than 20 burn victims from the Crans-Montana New Year’s fire, has urged Swiss prosecutors to expand the criminal investigation to include local authorities. He argued that officials must be held accountable for failures that contributed to the tragedy.
Jordan plans to claim millions in damages for each injury and up to 100,000 Swiss francs ($125,390) per death, with total compensation potentially reaching hundreds of millions of francs as reported in Reuters.
Safety Failures at Le Constellation Bar
The deadly fire, which killed 40 people—mostly teenagers—and injured 116, started when sparkling candles ignited soundproof foam on the bar’s basement ceiling. Crowds panicked and fled through a narrow staircase, creating a fatal bottleneck.
Crans-Montana’s mayor admitted that the venue had missed multiple annual safety inspections. For now, only the French owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are under investigation for suspected negligent homicide. The husband has been detained, and the couple says they are cooperating fully.
Victims Demand Accountability
Jordan criticized the town’s attempts to avoid responsibility, calling it “a bad joke” and emphasizing the families’ need for answers about who is accountable. His clients, Swiss, French, and Italian nationals, are recovering in European hospitals, with most having been in artificial comas or unresponsive.
Under Swiss law, victims can seek emergency financial assistance, but Jordan stressed the need for a state fund to cover ongoing expenses until final rulings are issued.
Call for Transparency
Jordan said he will request official hearings, full access to correspondence, and documentation to understand how so many safety safeguards failed simultaneously. Families hope the investigation will clarify the role of both the owners and local authorities in this catastrophic event.
