Overview
- Investigators are examining sparkler candles on champagne bottles, the acoustic ceiling material, and the club’s fire-safety compliance including extinguishers and escape routes.
- The death toll stands at more than 40 with roughly 119 injured, with formal identifications progressing through DNA testing that officials say will take several days.
- Owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti were interviewed as witnesses, face no coercive measures, and are presumed innocent, while Jacques Moretti says prior inspections found the venue compliant.
- Prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said potential charges would depend on expert reports, which could lead to counts such as negligent arson or negligent homicide if errors are established.
- Italy’s foreign ministry has deployed crisis-unit support and diplomats across Swiss hospitals, as critically injured Italians are treated in Zurich and transferred to Milan’s Niguarda when feasible.