A Swiss bar hit by a deadly fire in the early hours of New Year’s Day has not been inspected for five years, local authorities said Tuesday.
The Crans-Montana City Council president said Le Constellation, the bar where 40 people died in the inferno, has not undergone a fire inspection since 2019.
Nicola Ferrer told reporters at a press conference that the council “deeply regrets” the finding that the facility was under-tested. “We take full responsibility for what the justice system has placed on us,” he added.
The mayor said council staff are supposed to inspect establishments such as bars every year to assess potential fire hazards, such as kitchens.
Inspection laws do not include inspecting sound deadening materials in ceilings. A previous review found no defects in the foam sound insulation, but it is now suspected that it may have been a central cause of the fire destroying the bar.
Ferro said it was “up to the judge” whether local councils should participate in a criminal investigation launched by Swiss public prosecutors.
A 14-year-old was among the victims of the early-morning fire on January 1, raising questions about whether adequate age verification was done. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 39, with 15 of them under 18. The youngest were a Swiss girl and a French boy, both 14 years old.
Mr Fellows commented on a video showing a fire in the bar’s basement, criticizing a “culture of reckless risk” by the owners, who are now being investigated by police on charges of manslaughter, negligent arson and manslaughter.
Authorities have since shut down another venue operated by the same operator.
With two emergency exits on site, Ferro said, they could accommodate 100 customers above the bar and another 100 in the basement. But he said investigators would investigate the exit situation on Dec. 31.
Testimonies from survivors of the fire and local residents who visited the bar have raised questions about whether the basement emergency exit was locked on the night of the fire.
Mr Ferrer also announced a ban on the use of flammable materials in enclosed spaces, following a fire believed to have been caused by a sparkler inside a champagne bottle.
“This week has been very difficult for me personally,” Fellows said as he concluded his press conference. “I will forever remember that night and the sadness of that whole family.”
