Overview
- Authorities report 40 dead and about 114 injured, with investigators saying bottle sparklers likely ignited highly flammable ceiling material.
- Operator Jacques Moretti told investigators a basement service door was locked from the inside; he says he forced it open and found victims, and some reports note the door was not marked as an emergency exit.
- Moretti admitted replacing the bar’s acoustic foam with hardware‑store material now under scrutiny for compliance, after prior staff warnings about fire risk were reported.
- Moretti is in pre‑trial custody on flight‑risk grounds and his wife remains under investigation, with suspected charges including negligent homicide that prosecutors could toughen if they find conscious acceptance of risk.
- Debate over oversight has intensified given the last recorded fire‑safety inspection in 2019 and a just‑enacted Wallis building‑law clause that may limit municipal liability, as families and Italian prosecutors pursue further forensic reviews of a 16‑year‑old victim.