Overview
- Authorities in Valais opened a criminal investigation alleging negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and negligent causing of a fire against the bar’s operators.
- Officials report about 40 dead and 119 injured, many of them young, with several patients still in critical condition.
- Investigators say videos and witness accounts point to spark-emitting devices on champagne bottles igniting acoustic or insulation foam that fueled rapid flames and toxic smoke.
- Survivor accounts claim a key exit was blocked or ineffective, while prosecutors say additional emergency exits existed, leaving the status of egress routes disputed.
- The owners have been questioned as investigators review permits and the bar’s renovations, while burn victims are being transferred to specialized clinics abroad with EU-assisted transport and initial identifications underway.