Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseJanuary 10, 2026 at 09:45 PM
Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The owner of the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where a New Year's fire killed 40 people, has told investigators that a service door was locked from the inside. Jacques Moretti, along with his wife, is under investigation for negligent homicide, bodily harm, and arson. Moretti claims he discovered the locked door after the fire and forced it open, finding people behind it. The fire is believed to have started when sparklers ignited soundproofing foam. Investigators are also examining fire safety compliance, including the presence of extinguishers and accessible exits. Moretti stated that the bar prohibited entry to anyone under 16 and required those aged 16-18 to be accompanied by an adult, but admitted to a possible lapse in protocol.

Keywords

bar fire 100% locked door 80% fire safety 70% negligent homicide 70% soundproofing foam 60% sparklers 60% safety inspections 50% underage drinking 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative
Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source
The Guardian - World News
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.40)
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).

Topic Connections

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

Network visualization showing 51 related topics
View Full Graph
Explore Full Topic Graph