Summary: Jacques Moretti, co-owner and manager of Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, has been placed in three months' preventive detention amid an investigation into a New Year fire that killed 40 and injured 116. Prosecutors have opened inquiries into both Moretti and his wife on suspected negligent manslaughter, bodily harm and arson. Early findings point to sparklers igniting soundproofing foam in the basement; investigators are also probing fire-safety compliance and the absence of inspections since 2019. Eighty people remain hospitalized.
Swiss Bar Manager Detained for Three Months After Deadly New Year Blaze
Jacques and Jessica Moretti co-own Le Constellation (Fabrice COFFRINI)(Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP/AFP)
The co-owner and manager of Le Constellation, a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort, has been placed in preventive detention for three months after a New Year’s Day fire killed 40 people and injured 116, Swiss authorities said.
Detention and Charges
Jacques Moretti was taken into custody after he and his wife, Jessica Moretti, were questioned by prosecutors in Switzerland’s Wallis (Valais) canton. The Wallis Cantonal Court of Compulsory Measures (TMC) ordered an initial three-month preventive detention for Jacques, citing a flight risk. The court said it would consider lifting detention if alternative measures — including a security deposit — were put in place.
Public prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into both Morettis on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and negligent arson. At the end of the investigation, the Wallis public prosecutor’s office will decide whether to bring formal charges or close the case. The presumption of innocence remains in effect.
What Investigators Have Found So Far
Initial probes indicate the fire in the bar’s basement was likely started when handheld sparklers ignited soundproofing foam on the ceiling. Authorities are also examining whether emergency exits complied with safety rules and whether fire extinguishers were present and accessible.
Crans-Montana officials acknowledged that the bar had not undergone a fire-safety inspection since 2019, a revelation that has provoked public outrage and intensified scrutiny of local oversight.
Witness Accounts and Concerns
According to excerpts of police reports published by Swiss and French media and confirmed to AFP, Moretti told investigators he discovered a service door that had been locked from the inside after the blaze; he said he forced the door open and found several people lying behind it.
Lawyers representing victims’ families have criticized the pace and handling of the investigation and have demanded that the owners be detained. Sebastien Fanti, representing four families, said clients were only "imperfectly satisfied" by the detention of one manager and quoted a bereaved father saying: "He died as if in a war, so now it's war." Another lawyer, Romain Jordan, expressed concern about the risk that evidence could be destroyed or that testimony might be influenced.
Human Toll
Wallis president Mathias Reynard told public broadcaster RTS that 80 people remain hospitalized in Switzerland and abroad. The tragedy has left communities in mourning and raised pressing questions about venue safety, inspections and emergency preparedness.
Next steps: The public prosecutor’s office will continue the investigation and then decide whether to indict. Authorities say they are also working to secure and preserve evidence while protecting the rights of suspects and victims alike.
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