Swiss deadly fire bar owners' lawyers condemn 'vindictiveness'

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 19, 2026 at 03:53 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Lawyers for the owners of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where a New Year's Eve fire killed 40 and injured 116, have publicly defended their clients against what they call "vindictiveness" and "lies." The fire, suspected to have been ignited by sparklers setting fire to soundproofing foam, is under investigation, with authorities acknowledging the bar hadn't undergone safety checks in five years. The lawyers claim the owners, Jessica and Jacques Moretti, were unaware of any dangers and that reports of Jessica fleeing with cash are false. They also stated Jacques purchased the foam from a reputable retailer who did not disclose its flammability. Meanwhile, lawyers for a deceased staff member allege she received no safety training regarding the fire risk.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

BFMTV 30% Tribune de Geneve ×240% Cyane Panine ×250% Patrick Michod ×260% Crans-Montana 60% Le Constellation ×370% Jacques Moretti ×270% Yaël Hayat ×270% Jessica Moretti ×380% Switzerland 80% New Year's Eve Fire ×290%

Keywords

deadly fire 100% bar fire 90% legal defense 80% criminal responsibility 70% safety checks 70% flammable material 60% le constellation 60% safety training 50% vindictiveness 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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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deadly fire bar fire legal defense criminal responsibility safety checks flammable material le constellation safety training vindictiveness

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