Business owners in a Swiss resort town have criticised the lack of health and safety regulations in the region after around 40 people were killed in a bar fire.
More than 100 people were also injured when flames ripped through the crowded venue in the luxury ski town of Crans-Montana as young revellers rang in the new year, police said.
Local owners said “serious questions need answering” amid questions over whether Switzerland’s strict safety rules were followed.
Horrified bystanders described panic as people tried to break through the windows of the bar to escape, and others, covered in burns, thronged into the street.
Police have yet to confirm what started the fire at the popular club, but an investigation, being led by a forensic institute in Zurich, is underway.
Multiple witnesses have claimed that it began after a sparkler was lit in the basement and placed inside a champagne bottle.
When it was held aloft by a waitress who was on a barman’s shoulders, it ignited the ceiling.
The blaze likely triggered the release of combustible gases that ignited and caused what English-speaking firefighters call a flashover fire or backdraught.
One Swiss business cafe owner, who did not want to be named, said many businesspeople in the area “totally ignore” health and safety regulations.
The man, in his 40s, said: “It’s mad. People do what they want. This tragedy should not happen in this day and age.
“I spend thousands on health and safety. Many people don’t. They do what they want. They don’t have warning signs for broken glass. They don’t follow fire regulations.
“I do, though. I could not sleep at night if I didn’t.”
Others also said there was little in the way of health and safety enforcement.
One bar manager said: “There’s not many rules around here. We have fire extinguishers but there’s never been a fire test as long as I can remember.
“It’s not like it’s taken seriously. Whatever has happened today is maybe going to change all of that. Something has gone seriously wrong.
“Many businesses just totally ignore whatever rules there are. But nobody checks. No councils visit.”
According to reports, Le Constellation was owned and operated by a French couple originally from Corsica.
They are believed to have taken over the bar sometime in the mid-2010s.
The wife was allegedly in the bar on Wednesday night when the fire began, and reportedly suffered burns on her arm and is in “complete shock”.
While their individual identities have not been officially confirmed, they were reportedly involved in managing the venue and had other hospitality ventures in the area.
Local coverage had, until recently, described Le Constellation as an “up-and-coming” nightlife hotspot in Crans-Montana, particularly popular among tourists and seasonal visitors. After the fire, the bar’s social media accounts were reportedly removed.
The day before New Year’s Eve, police in Crans-Montana warned that the lighting of fireworks in the region was banned because of a severe lack of rainfall and the potential for a catastrophic inferno.
Despite that, throughout the final night of the year, rockets exploded into the air across the popular ski resort with officials seemingly turning a blind eye.
Early reports had suggested a large explosion might have caused the fire. But Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis’ security department, said that “the initial investigation shows the explosion was in fact a consequence of the fire”.
“There is absolutely no question of a terrorist attack,” stressed Beatrice Pilloud, the region’s chief-prosecutor.
Alex, 21, meanwhile told RTS that he had arrived at the scene shortly after a loud explosion.
Enveloped in a strong smell of gas mixed with the smell of melted plastic, he said he saw people fleeing the bar with burns and “people screaming for help”.
Then he said he remembered that there was only a narrow set of stairs up from a large basement locale in the building, and worried that dozens might remain trapped.
“That sent shivers down my spine,” he said.
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