At least 40 people — including tourists — died in the fire which tore through Le Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana, a ski resort in Switzerland, during a New Year’s Eve celebration
The owners of the doomed Swiss nightclub where a fire killed at least 40 people during a New Year’s Eve celebration say they “can’t eat or sleep” following the tragedy.
Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica also stressed “everything had been done according to regulation” at and in the build-up to the party at their bar Le Constellation Bar in Crans-Montana, a ski resort in Switzerland. However, a fire — said to have been caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles — tore through the building and killed dozens of people and hurt more than 100 others.
Families are now facing an agonising wait, with parents scouring the resort for their missing loved ones. British-educated teenager Charlotte Niddam, who previously attended Immanuel College — a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire — is among those missing.
Speaking publically for the first time since the tragedy, Mr Moretti, 49, said last night: “We can neither sleep nor eat, we are all very unwell… Everything had been done according to regulation. We will do everything we can to help clarify the causes. We are doing everything in our power. Our lawyers are also involved.”
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The dad, who lives with 40-year-old Jessica on the French island of Corsica, spoke to Swiss publication 20 Minuten, which says the club was quickly consumed after flames spread. It was packed with revellers from all over the world at the time, including young people on holiday to celebrate the turn of the year.
In addition to the 40 dead, some 115 people suffered injuries, including third-degree burns. Guy Parmelin, president of Switzerland, said on Thursday that the country will observe five days of mourning.
Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for the Valais region, said: “We assume that the fire originated from sparklers attached to champagne bottles. From there, the ceiling caught fire.
“We are also looking at what materials were used. The issue of emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and the bar’s occupancy is also being investigated.”
Ms Moretti’s Facebook page states the 40-year-old woman once studied at the University of Glamorgan, which has several campuses in south Wales. She has completed a programme at the International University of Monaco, and the Montpelier Business School in France, her home nation.
It is thought she was at the venue at the time of the fire, but her husband was not present. They opened Le Constellation in December 2015 after falling in love with the area when they visited for a week’s holiday in 2011.
Since then, the couple launched other restaurants in Switzerland and developed a reputation as a hardworking and successful husband and wife team. They were praised in an interview in local media as enthusiastic and “brimming with energy” for their projects.
