Hundreds of people gathered in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on Sunday to pay their respects to the 40 victims of a devastating bar fire that occurred on New Year's Eve. The tragedy left many young people dead or injured, with some still awaiting news about their loved ones.
The mourners walked silently through the streets, carrying flower bouquets and other tributes, before joining in a silent march up the hill to Le Constellation bar. At the top of the street, the crowd stood in near-total silence as they laid flowers at a makeshift memorial piled high with tributes.
Among those who attended the vigil was Véronique Barras, a local resident who knows grieving families. "We are all brothers and sisters in humanity," she said. "It's essential to support each other, hug each other, and move forward towards light."
Many of the victims were young people celebrating their 17th birthday or younger. One family was searching for their son, Arthur, who died in the fire. The mother, Laetitia Brodard, had given her DNA sample to help identify her son's body.
Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the bar managers, with charges of involuntary homicide, bodily harm, and causing a fire. Investigators believe that candles on champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger from the community. Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced a national day of mourning for the victims on January 9. France's Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said that 17 patients had received care in France, out of a total of 35 transferred from Switzerland to five European countries.
The incident highlights concerns about bar safety and regulations. Authorities plan to investigate whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether candles were permitted for use in the bar.
The mourners walked silently through the streets, carrying flower bouquets and other tributes, before joining in a silent march up the hill to Le Constellation bar. At the top of the street, the crowd stood in near-total silence as they laid flowers at a makeshift memorial piled high with tributes.
Among those who attended the vigil was Véronique Barras, a local resident who knows grieving families. "We are all brothers and sisters in humanity," she said. "It's essential to support each other, hug each other, and move forward towards light."
Many of the victims were young people celebrating their 17th birthday or younger. One family was searching for their son, Arthur, who died in the fire. The mother, Laetitia Brodard, had given her DNA sample to help identify her son's body.
Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the bar managers, with charges of involuntary homicide, bodily harm, and causing a fire. Investigators believe that candles on champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger from the community. Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced a national day of mourning for the victims on January 9. France's Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said that 17 patients had received care in France, out of a total of 35 transferred from Switzerland to five European countries.
The incident highlights concerns about bar safety and regulations. Authorities plan to investigate whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether candles were permitted for use in the bar.
. You can't imagine how many lives that fire claimed, leaving families shattered 
. The fact that some young people were celebrating their birthday or just starting adult life is heartbreaking 
. What's even more disturbing is that it was an avoidable tragedy – candles on champagne bottles are a huge no-no in any bar 
.
. It's not just about finding out if there were regulations broken or not – it's about preventing similar incidents from happening again 
. Let's hope that out of this tragedy, we can create safer spaces for everyone 
.
. All these people showing up to pay their respects, but not a single one of them wearing a mask 
. I mean, come on, Switzerland's got some of the strictest health guidelines out there and you'd think people would be more considerate. Plus, with all those candles being lit...no wonder it was such a fire hazard 
. And can't the authorities just get their acts together already? All this back-and-forth about whether the bar was following regulations is just frustrating 
. I guess what really gets me is that families are still searching for loved ones, and they're getting no answers 
. That's just heartless...
the fact that kids as young as 17 are dying in a fire party like that, it's just wrong... i dont know how people can be so careless and thoughtless 
and now they have to go through this grieving process which is awful for the families 
anyway, my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones 
anyone who lost someone they love is just devastated 
this incident is totally unacceptable, how could those bar managers be so careless with people's lives? 
This is so heartbreaking 
. Young people celebrating life, not knowing they'd be taken away from their families 
. The community is still reeling, need to support each other and find closure 
.
. Bar safety regulations need a serious overhaul, this tragedy is preventable 
. Candles on champagne bottles? Who does that? 
. Authorities are taking action, but we'll be watching 
.
. France's helping too, 17 patients received care 
. It's just a shame it had to come to this.
. I mean, where are the bars taking safety seriously? Where are they investing in proper ventilation and fire safety measures? We need to learn from this tragedy and move forward 
my heart goes out to all those families who lost loved ones 
authorities gotta step up their game & take responsibility for this. btw i dont think 1 day of mourning is enough, they should do more 
A whole new level of "party" 
Who thought that was a good idea?! 
The investigation should be, like, super thorough 
and a whole lot of tragedy 
.
.
. Sending love and support to all those affected 
. I mean, come on, who uses candles near a fire? It's basic common sense, people! And now we're left dealing with the aftermath of 40 lives lost 
and concerned about what other measures can be put in place to prevent something like this from happening again 
but have you ever wondered what's behind that calm face? 
or maybe it's because they're secretly ninja warriors 
(just kidding) anyway, back to crans-montana... ugh, that bar fire is so heartbreaking 