Owner of Swiss ski bar held in custody after deadly New Year's Eve fire

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 9, 2026 at 04:49 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Following a New Year's Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, that killed 40 and injured 116, co-owner Jacques Moretti has been detained due to flight risk. Swiss prosecutors are investigating Moretti and his wife Jessica for potential manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson by negligence. The fire is believed to have started when sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited soundproofing foam. Investigations revealed the bar had not undergone safety inspections for five years, prompting questions about municipal oversight. Switzerland held a national day of mourning, while funerals for the victims, many under 20, have begun.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Zurich Airport 30% Valais 40% Romain Jordan 60% Nicolas Feraud 60% Jessica Moretti 70% Crans-Montana ×380% Le Constellation ×280% Switzerland ×290% Jacques Moretti ×290%

Keywords

bar fire 100% negligence 80% safety checks 70% criminal investigation 60% new year's eve 60% manslaughter 50% fire safety 50% crans-montana 40% sparklers 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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bar fire negligence safety checks criminal investigation new year's eve manslaughter fire safety crans-montana sparklers

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