Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Authorities Identify Waitress in Swiss New Year’s Bar Fire, Owners Under Negligence Probe

Investigators say preliminary videos show her handling flares that ignited ceiling panels.

Overview

  • Swiss authorities named Cyane Panine, a 24-year-old French waitress, among the 40 people who died in the Le Constellation blaze in Crans-Montana.
  • A preliminary reconstruction based on attendee recordings indicates she accidentally set off the fire while holding two lit flares near the ceiling on a patron’s shoulders.
  • Bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti are being investigated for presumed negligent homicide as prosecutors scrutinize venue practices and compliance.
  • Valais chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said videos from the party are crucial to establishing the timeline and potential culpability.
  • Forensic authorities report 119 injured and victims aged 14 to 39 from several nationalities, while the owners defend a decade-long use of flares and Panine’s family says she followed employer instructions.