Hundreds of people marched in silence Sunday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, to honor victims of a New Year’s Eve bar fire that killed 40 people and left many others severely injured. The procession followed a Mass at Chapelle Saint-Christophe, where mourners then walked toward Le Constellation bar.
Somber mourners, many with reddened eyes, filed silently out of the chapel to organ music after the hourlong service. Some exchanged hugs before joining a dense procession up a hill toward the bar.
In bright daylight, marchers moved past shuttered stores toward the mountain overlook. At the top of the street, in front of Le Constellation—which was still largely shielded from view by white screens—the crowd stood in near total silence, with some people weeping.
The vigil then shifted as those gathered broke into sustained applause for rescue teams and police who rushed to the scene, wearing gloves and mittens against the cold. Mourners and well-wishers later deposited bouquets at a makeshift memorial outside the bar, piled with flowers, cuddly toys and other tributes; some firefighters were seen wiping their eyes.
Local resident Véronique Barras, who knows grieving families, said the tragedy should lead people to remember their shared humanity and to support one another. “Through this tragic event, I believe we must all remember that we are all brothers and sisters in humanity,” she said. “It’s important to support each other, to hug each other, and to move forward towards light.”
In comments during the aftermath, other residents described the difficulty of understanding a disaster that struck during celebrations. Cathy Premer said her daughter was out celebrating her 17th birthday on New Year’s Eve and called in the early hours to say she was stuck because Le Constellation was cordoned off. “For the young — but even for adults — it’s hard to understand things that seem inexplicable,” she said, adding that the venue drew people of many nationalities for Dec. 31 festivities before “it all turned into a tragedy.”
The Rev. Gilles Cavin, speaking during the Mass, described the uncertainty facing families of victims. He said it was a time of “terrible uncertainty” as loved ones were unaccounted for among the dead and still injured. He added: “There are no words strong enough to express the dismay, anguish, and anger of those who are affected in their lives today. And yet, we are here, gathered because silence alone is not enough,” in remarks delivered during the service.
Swiss authorities said the fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation bar. They said 40 people died and 119 were injured, and that by Sunday evening they had identified all 40 fatalities. The authorities said the identification process was particularly difficult because of the advanced degree of burns, requiring the use of DNA samples.
Families of victims described the anguish of waiting for information. One of the victims was 16-year-old Arthur Brodard, whose mother, Laetitia Brodard, said in a Facebook story posted Saturday night that her son had “left to party in paradise,” and that she and others could begin mourning knowing he was “in peace and in the light.” She had given her DNA sample to help with identification, according to the report.
Swiss authorities have also opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. Valais region chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said the two managers are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, while not naming them. Regional police said Sunday there were no legal grounds so far to hold the managers pending the legal process and that they had not been deemed a flight risk.
Investigators said they believe festive sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire after coming too close to the bar’s ceiling. Authorities are also looking into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. The investigation includes other safety measures such as fire extinguishers and escape routes, and whether previous work at the site was up to code.
In a statement of national mourning, Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced a national day of mourning for the victims on Jan. 9. In a separate update from France, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said 17 patients have received care in France out of a total of 35 transferred from Switzerland to five European countries, and she said other patients were planned to be transferred to Germany, Italy and Belgium.