
Following the New Year's Eve tragedy at the luxury ski resort of Crans-Montana, which left 47 people dead and more than 115 injured, Swiss authorities have begun the difficult process of identifying the bodies. Severe burns make the task complicated.
Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Feraud said that "the first objective is to give names to all the bodies," warning that the process could take several days. Reuters writes that experts are using dental and DNA samples to ensure accurate identification, while the families of the missing young men anxiously await news of their relatives.
Meanwhile, controversy continues over the bar "Le Constellation", which according to Swiss media had received a safety rating of only 6.5 out of 10. The shortcomings identified included a single emergency exit, wooden furniture and a separate smoking area, factors that are now seen as critical. A controversial promotional video on YouTube showed parties with champagne bottles and fireworks being lit inside the bar, raising doubts about the cause of the fire.
The bar "advertised parties with fireworks lit on champagne bottles, with signs of safety deficiencies, such as a single emergency exit and questionable flammable materials," writes Blick, also citing videos shot in the bar before the tragedy, which fuel "speculation about the cause of the fire."
Survivors' testimonies suggest the flames spread quickly, perhaps after decorative candles touched the basement ceiling. Authorities have said the fire appears to have been an accident and not a deliberate attack.
The local community is in shock. Hundreds of people gathered near the scene to pay their respects to the victims, laying flowers and lighting candles. “You think you’re safe here, but this could happen anywhere. They were people like us,” said Piermarco Pani, 18, who knew the bar well.
The tragedy at Le Constellation has opened a wide-ranging debate over safety standards in Swiss nightclubs, with authorities promising full investigations and new measures to avoid a repeat of such events.