Overview
- Jacques Moretti, held in custody, faced about 10 hours of questioning on Tuesday in Sion in a second formal hearing, with co-owner Jessica Moretti due to be heard on Wednesday under travel restrictions.
- Prosecutors are pursuing a working theory that sparklers on champagne bottles ignited acoustic foam on the low basement ceiling, causing a rapid flashover that killed 40 people and injured 116.
- Investigators say evacuation failed at a narrow staircase where 34 victims were found, and local authorities acknowledge required safety inspections had not been carried out since 2019.
- The Morettis are under investigation for manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and negligent arson, while lawyers for victims’ families criticize the probe’s pace and transparency.
- Questions about exits and evidence persist, with debate over a back service door and officials assessing whether footage from the bar’s 14 surveillance cameras can be recovered.