Overview
- Jacques Moretti told investigators a basement door was locked from the inside during the blaze and said he later opened it to find bodies, with RTS later clarifying the door was described as a service entrance not marked as an emergency exit.
- Moretti acknowledged replacing the venue’s acoustic material with hardware‑store foam, and investigators say sparks from party fountains likely ignited the flammable ceiling.
- Prosecutors in Valais have detained Moretti and are investigating him and his wife for negligent homicide, negligent arson and bodily harm, with the possibility of harsher charges if they knowingly accepted the risk.
- Records show the bar’s last fire‑safety control was in 2019, and local officials say checks did not specifically cover highly flammable ceiling material as scrutiny grows over enforcement gaps.
- Switzerland held a national memorial attended by foreign leaders, and reports highlight a new Valais building‑law amendment that could limit municipal liability, though its applicability to this case remains uncertain.