Families of those killed in the deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire in Switzerland are preparing to seek compensation that could reach hundreds of millions of Swiss francs, according to their lawyer.
Speaking to SIC, lawyer Romain Jordan said the scale of the tragedy and the alleged safety failures mean the claims will be substantial. “In terms of compensation, the amount will be enormous,” he said.
The fire broke out at Le Constellation, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, during New Year celebrations. Forty people were killed and 116 others were injured, most of whom remain in hospital.
To safeguard potential claims, Jordan confirmed that an asset freeze has already been requested on the property of the bar’s owners.
Families were shocked to hear revelations that the bar had not been inspected since 2020. Investigators are now examining several possible safety failures, including the absence of regular inspections between 2020 and 2025, soundproofing foam on the ceiling that was allegedly not fire-resistant, and witness accounts suggesting emergency exits were locked. The lawyer is also calling for the investigation to go beyond the bar’s owners and include local political authorities in Crans-Montana.
As SIC points out, preliminary findings suggest the fire started in the ceiling, triggered by spark-emitting “fountain” candles placed in champagne bottles during the party.
Authorities have since shut down another venue operated by the same owners. According to the Valais public prosecutor, the bar’s managers are suspected of involuntary manslaughter, involuntary bodily harm and negligent arson.
Most of the victims were Swiss nationals. Among the dead were a 22-year-old Portuguese woman, Fany Magalhães, two 16-year-old Italians, a 39-year-old French citizen, a 16-year-old with Italian and Emirati nationality, an 18-year-old Romanian and an 18-year-old Turkish national.
The bar’s owners, a French couple, told La Tribune de Genève that the venue had been inspected three times over the past decade and that “everything was in compliance with regulations.”
