In the wake of a devastating fire that left 40 people deceased during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a Swiss ski resort bar, chilling new details have emerged shedding more light on the tragedy.
The incident occurred at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, 2026, leaving more than 100 people critically injured, including several young victims.
As the investigation remains active, two former employees have come forward with unsettling details, pointing to negligence in safety measures that may have led to the catastrophic incident.
Two former employees at Le Constellation bar have come forward to share chilling details, alleging serious lapses in the resort bar’s safety measures
A criminal investigation has been launched against the bar’s owners, Jacques Moretti and his wife, Jessica Moretti, on charges including homicide by negligence, negligent bodily harm, and arson by negligence.
Amid the ongoing probe, former staff members Maxime and Sarah claimed employees were not properly trained to handle fire safety procedures, describing the situation as “dicey.”
In an interview with BFMTV, published on Sunday, January 4, Sarah, who worked at the bar in 2023, alleged that the building’s “emergency exit was [kept] locked because it led directly into the building.”
She further claimed that employees were “forbidden” from opening that door, leaving only a staircase accessible during emergencies.
According to Sarah, evacuating nearly 200 people through a single staircase within ten minutes would have been “impossible.”
“It’s very narrow; if that door at the back, opposite the toilets, had been open, it would have limited the number of victims.”
Maxime and Sarah alleged that the building’s emergency exit was kept “locked” and that staff were not provided with proper fire safety training
Meanwhile, Maxime weighed in on speculation surrounding whether sparklers positioned close to the ceiling may have triggered the devastating fire, an angle cited by investigating authorities.
Attorney General of the canton of Valais, Béatrice Pilloud, said in a public statement, “We currently assume that the fire was caused by sparklers attached to champagne bottles that came too close to the ceiling.”
Shortly after the statement, a photo reportedly verified by the BBC began circulating widely online, appearing to support the theory.
The image showed flames spreading across the ceiling of the bar’s basement level.
In light of this development, Maxime told the publication, “I always said that if waitresses held up sparklers and they came into contact [with the ceiling], everything could go up in flames.”
She added, “There was definitely a risk and the safety measures were a bit dicey… staff weren’t briefed on fire safety and the emergency exit was sometimes blocked or locked.”
Sarah also described the club’s now-infamous champagne bottle shows involving sparklers as “dangerous.”
“There had been building work and everything was made of wood, so putting sparklers in champagne bottles was very dangerous,” Sarah said in an interview
Incendi en una estació d’esquí suïssa: aquest és el moment en què s’haurien originat les flames a l’interior del bar https://t.co/PwUdoBfdbf
Imatges: Ferdinand du beaudiez pic.twitter.com/YYI57ZxS3n
— 3CatInfo (@3CatInfo) January 2, 2026
She said, “We had no training on fire safety. I only saw fire extinguishers in an office … but it was often locked.
“The emergency exit was kept locked… I wasn’t aware that there was a fire alarm.”
Recalling her experience staying in an apartment above the bar, Sarah explained, “I had to get a key to open the door of the emergency exit to go upstairs… We were ordered not to unlock the emergency exit except to go upstairs to the apartment.”
She concluded by saying, “There had been building work and everything was made of wood [in the basement] so putting sparklers in champagne bottles was very dangerous.”
Speaking on Swiss radio following the tragedy, Stéphane Ganzer, the Valais State Councillor in charge of security, said, “Someone made a mistake, I am sure of it.”
“A fire this serious in Switzerland, where we have professional standards and controls, means that something went wrong.”
The owners of the bar, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are reportedly under investigation in connection with the tragedy over allegations of negligence
While authorities continue to investigate the Moretti couple, they have denied all allegations and any wrongdoing on their part.
Addressing the probe, Béatrice Pilloud said the “investigation was opened because we have suspicions, but until there is a conviction, there is a presumption of innocence which prevails.”
According to reports, the fire claimed the lives of mostly teenagers.
The identification process was lengthy due to the severe condition of the burnt remains.
Many of the injured victims have reportedly been transferred to hospitals in France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy for treatment.
Authorities confirmed that the youngest identified victim was a 14-year-old girl.
All 40 victims have now been identified, and a national day of mourning has been scheduled for January 9 by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin.
“A tragedy like this shows how safety can’t ever be taken for granted, even in luxury resorts,” wrote one social media user
