Overview
- Bar operator Jacques Moretti told investigators an emergency exit in the basement was locked from the inside on New Year’s, which he said he opened from outside before finding several bodies.
- Moretti also said he had replaced the club’s ceiling foam with hardware-store material later implicated in the blaze, according to reporting based on investigative sources.
- Prosecutors are pursuing charges including negligent homicide, arson and bodily injury, with a potential upgrade to killing with eventual intent if awareness of the blocked exit is proven.
- Initial findings indicate sparks from bottle-mounted party fountains ignited combustible ceiling panels, leading to a fire that killed 40 people and injured 116, some critically, including a 14-year-old victim.
- Context from earlier reporting shows Le Constellation’s last fire-safety check was in 2019, witnesses had complained of blocked exits, few local bars were inspected last year, and Valais lacks required checks of flammable ceiling materials or mandatory building insurance for operators.