Swiss Ski Resort Bar Where 40 Died in Fire Had No Safety Inspection Since 2019, Mayor Says

Prosecutors said the fire was likely caused by champagne sparklers igniting the soundproofing foam in the bar’s basement ceiling.

A makeshift memorial near the Le Constellation bar, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Jan. 2, 2026. Denis Balibouse/Reuters

The après-ski bar in which 40 people died after a fire broke out during the early hours of New Year’s Day hadn’t undergone a safety inspection since 2019, the mayor of the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana said on Jan. 6.

“We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the checks had not been done,” Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud said about the lack of fire safety checks at the Le Constellation bar between 2020 and 2025.