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Families Condemn Delayed Autopsies in Crans-Montana Fire Case

An Italian request for access to six victims' bodies underscores mounting cross-border scrutiny of the Swiss inquiry.

Overview

  • Two weeks after the New Year’s blaze that killed 40 and injured 116, lawyers say several victims were never autopsied and some were buried, raising the prospect of exhumations.
  • Valais prosecutors belatedly ordered certain examinations after families pressed for them, and declined further comment pending formal statements.
  • In one case, 17-year-old Trystan Pidoux’s funeral was postponed when an autopsy was ordered the night before; the report found death from smoke inhalation.
  • Italy’s ambassador says none of the six Italian victims were autopsied in Switzerland, and Rome’s prosecutor has asked for the bodies; an Italian police report notes 34 bodies found piled at a staircase and death certificates without stated causes.
  • Investigators say sparks from “fountain” candles likely ignited acoustic foam; the bar-owning husband is jailed for three months in a negligence probe, with possible release on 200,000 Swiss francs bail to be decided.