On January 1st, 2026 at approximately 1:26 AM, just after Europe welcomed the New Year, a tragic fire erupted at La Constellation Bar in the ski-resort town of Crans-Montana, Valais, Switzerland (CNN). 116 people were seriously injured, with 83 of them suffering severe burns (PBS). The owner of the bar testified that a service door was locked from the inside while the catastrophic events occurred.
The two French owners, Jacques Moretti and Jessica Moretti, are currently suspected for crimes such as negligent homicide (Reuters). As of now, Jacques is currently under police custody while his wife remains free. According to Jose Corset, who represents the families of six victims, Jacques was questioned by prosecutors and was reported to be “someone who did not shy away and who answered all the questions” (Barrons). Jessica Moretti, although not under custody, has publicly apologized for the tragedy and stated, “My thoughts are constantly with the victims” to Swiss Television RTS (swissinfo).
According to the police statement, the people who were affected by the tragedy were a large variety of locals and tourists. The police report stated, “The injured include 68 Swiss citizens, 21 French nationals, 10 Italians, 4 Serbs, 2 Poles and 1 person each from Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Republic of Congo.” Early in the morning on the following Monday, Italian authorities flew home five bodies to the airport in Sion (PBS). This solemn event left a heavy weight on the mourners, the flight crew, and everyone involved.
News of the tragedy quickly spread to America. When English teacher Mr. Hedges was asked about this tragedy, he recalled, “I heard about the fire from my news feed. I’ve never been a big fan of humongous crowds anyway, but this is just one more reason to avoid being at any party or event that packs people in. Especially when alcohol is involved, the potential for accidents is always going to be higher, but when there are giant crowds, it makes it a lot harder for safety regulations to be followed.” When asked if the fire could have been prevented, he replied, “Accidents happen, and every location needs to be prepared when they do. Buildings have sprinklers and alarms. Parking lots have fire lanes. Safety plans exist so that people can evacuate safely. If there are too many people in the building or the building is not inspected properly and consistently, it puts people at risk. From the sound of things, I can’t be sure that all of these regulations were followed.”
Senior Ashley DeLeo was shocked to hear the news through her “For You” page on TikTok: “I was incredibly saddened to hear about this news, especially on a holiday like New Years that’s supposed to be fun and a fresh start.”
There is clearly no doubt that the fire was a disastrous accident. Whether or not it could have been prevented, families are still mourning their loved ones, and the owners will continue to face charges until further notice.
