> At a Glance
> – 40 dead, 116 injured in New Year’s Eve blaze at Le Constellation bar
> – No safety inspections conducted from 2020-2025
> – Champagne sparklers may have ignited ceiling materials
> – Why it matters: Deadliest Swiss nightclub fire in decades exposes critical oversight failures
A packed New Year’s celebration turned catastrophic when flames tore through Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, leaving 40 people dead and 116 injured in what officials call Switzerland’s deadliest nightclub fire in decades.
The Fire
The blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, as partygoers filled the two-floor bar. Investigators suspect festive sparklers atop champagne bottles sparked the inferno when they touched the ceiling.
Witnesses recall:
- Bottles with lit sparklers moments before ignition
- Rapid flames through the basement, then upstairs
- Panic at narrow exits and stairways
Crans-Montana official Nicolas Féraud admitted:
> “Periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025. We regret this bitterly.”
Safety Lapses
Inspection records show the bar received safety reviews in 2016, 2018 and 2019, with modifications requested. After that, oversight stopped.
| Period | Action |
|---|---|
| 2016-2019 | Fire inspections completed |
| 2020-2025 | Zero inspections |
| Sept 2025 | Only noise-compliance review |
Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s two managers for:
- Involuntary homicide
- Involuntary bodily harm
- Causing a fire through negligence
Aftermath
Burn severity complicated victim identification; all 40 bodies were confirmed by Jan. 4. Regional hospitals overflowed, forcing some burn patients to be transferred to France.
The municipality has:
- Banned indoor fireworks
- Ordered external audits of similar venues
- Promised to “accept responsibility”
State Councillor Mathias Reynard stated:
> “This evening should have been a moment of celebration, but it turned into a nightmare felt across the country and beyond.”
Key Takeaways
- 40 people died after five years without mandated safety checks
- Sparklers inside a packed bar likely triggered the ceiling fire
- Criminal charges target the two managers for negligence
- New nationwide inspections and firework bans aim to prevent repeats
Authorities still do not know the exact number of patrons inside the 200-capacity bar when disaster struck.
