Crans Montana, images of the Constellation after the New Year’s Eve fire: 41 dead, security door closed and investigations into controls and responsibility
On January 1st, a few hours after the night that transformed a New Year’s Eve party into one of the most serious tragedies of recent years, the Valais cantonal police documented what remained of the Constellation in Crans-Montana: a devastated room, furnishings blackened and deformed by the heat, the destroyed ceiling, the walls marked by smoke and the remains of an evening that ended with 41 dead and 115 young people injured, many in very serious conditions.
The images, included in the investigation dossier, starkly convey the size of the fire that engulfed the underground disco bar on the night between 31 December and 1 January. Among the shots there is also a detail destined to weigh on the judicial proceedings: the latch with which a security door had been closed. According to what emerged, the bodies of some customers who were unable to save themselves were found in front of that exit.
The interrogation of the owner
In the meantime, Jacques Moretti, owner of the Le Constellation club, was questioned in Sion. In front of the lawyers of the civil parties, Moretti stated that the ventilation system of the venue had never been subject to checks by either the Municipality or the Canton. A statement that opens a further front on the chain of checks and administrative responsibilities.
According to what emerged from the technical reports, there were four fire extinguishers in the underground room, but none would have been used during the fire. “No one used them because everyone was only thinking about escaping,” said Moretti, who was not in the club that night. The checks also highlighted the absence of reflective signs indicating the fire extinguishers. The owner explained that he had secured them with double-sided tape, but that they came off easily as people passed by.
Overcrowding and administration of alcohol
Among the central themes of the investigation there are also the possible overcrowding of the premises and the supply of alcohol to minors. The lawyers of the victims’ families ask for clarification on the checks carried out and on the overall safety conditions of the facility. The owner’s hearing is part of a process already started with listening to the Crans-Montana municipal safety managers, with the aim of reconstructing any deficiencies in preventive checks.
Meeting with family members
During a break in the interrogation, a confidential meeting took place between Jacques and Jessica Moretti and Leila Micheloud, mother of two girls injured in the fire. The meeting, which took place in a classroom on the Sion university campus, was described by lawyers as full of intensity and humanity. Micheloud explained that he was present to listen and to see the faces of who was responsible for the place where his daughters risked their lives.
Investigations in Italy: victims’ phones seized
At the same time, the Rome Prosecutor’s Office ordered the evidential seizure of the mobile phones of the young Italians who died or were injured in the fire. The prosecutor Stefano Opilio, who is prosecuting for negligent disaster, multiple manslaughter and aggravated injuries, has started the collection of the devices in view of a forensic analysis.
According to what is stated in the decree, it does not appear that the Swiss authorities ordered the seizure of the mobile phones of the injured people, and these devices could contain images, videos and messages useful for reconstructing the dynamics of the tragedy, the conditions of the premises and the moments immediately preceding and following the outbreak of the fire. The digital analyzes will serve to crystallize evidence and clarify any responsibilities.
A massacre yet to be explained
Weeks later, the devastation of the Constellation remains the material symbol of a tragedy that has affected dozens of families in Switzerland and Italy. The photographs taken by the cantonal police, the detail of the closed door, the interrogations and the technical reports make up a mosaic that is still incomplete.
The investigation will have to establish whether there were omissions in controls, structural deficiencies or direct responsibility in the management of the premises. Meanwhile, for the victims’ families, the weight of a night that was supposed to be a celebration and which turned into one of the most painful pages of recent news remains.
