Swiss authorities have broken silence after videos from the deadly bar fire revealed sparklers on champagne bottles.
According to BBC, a deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The day after the blaze, the videos from the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana revealed the crazy celebrations at the resort bar, including sparklers on the champagne bottles.
The videos quickly sparked online debate as people called the act the reason behind the fire. Later, Swiss authorities also acknowledged the fact and said that they also believe that the stunt of sparklers placed on champagne bottles that were “too close to the ceiling" was the reason behind the massive and deadly blaze.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud, in a news conference on Friday, January 2, said that the investigation into the ski resort bar fire would look into several areas, including materials used in the bar, fire safety measures, capacity and the number of people at the site at the time of the tragedy.
The probe will also assess whether criminal charges should be filed or not.
Pilloud told media, “If that is the case, and if those people are still alive, there will be a case opened against them. Everything leads us to think that the fire started from sparkling candles, or sparklers, which were put on bottles of champagne [that were] moved too close to the ceiling. From that, a blaze began very quickly.”
She also revealed that bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a French couple, were questioned by investigators as witnesses, not suspects, and they voluntarily provided information and are cooperating in the investigation.
Notably, 22 of the young injured victims are in critical condition at Lausanne University Hospital.
