Crans Montana mourns young lives lost as fire scars Alpine resort

By Isabel Saco Crans

Montana, Switzerland, Jan 4 (EFE).- Flowers, candles and tears lined the streets of Crans Montana on Sunday as the Swiss Alpine resort mourned 40 victims of a devastating New Year’s Eve fire, a tragedy that has left an entire community traumatized.

“Arthur has gone to party in paradise. We can begin our mourning knowing that he is in peace and in the light,” repeated Leticia through tears as she hugged friends and classmates of her 16-year-old son, one of the victims of the blaze at a nightclub in the ski resort.

Arthur was among the 24 victims identified so far. Of those identified, 18 are Swiss nationals, while Italians constitute the second most affected group.

The fire also left 119 people injured, most with severe and extensive burns, forcing the transfer of around 50 victims to highly specialized hospitals in other European countries.

Several remain in intensive care in induced comas, while others face recoveries expected to last months or even years.

The scale of grief and trauma was palpable during a large public tribute honoring the victims, their families, and the rescuers and firefighters who rushed to the scene that night, many of whom were visibly overwhelmed by emotion.

Following a memorial mass at the local church, co-officiated by Jean-Marie Lovey, bishop of Sion, capital of the canton of Valais, and Protestant pastor Gilles Cavin, a silent procession filled the resort’s main street.

“Among the victims are apprentices and students. We pray for their friends, deeply affected by this tragedy, which struck on a night meant for celebration and friendship,” Cavin said.

More than a thousand people then walked to the site of the fire, where a spontaneous memorial of flowers, candles, messages, and stuffed toys has grown, reflecting the young age of many of the victims.

Around a dozen of those identified so far were between 14 and 16 years old.

Rescuers and firefighters were applauded as they arrived at the memorial, many embracing and sobbing openly.

Crans Montana, home to about 10,500 permanent residents, sees itself as a close-knit community where nearly everyone knows a victim or a relative, a reality that helps explain the depth of the collective trauma now unfolding.

Sadness is etched on the faces of residents and service workers alike, many of them young, who are often seen breaking down in tears during their shifts.

Mental health professionals have stressed the urgent need for a psycho-social support plan, particularly for students returning to school on Monday.

Beyond mourning, residents are also demanding answers about how the fire spread so rapidly and violently, and why so many young people were unable to escape.

Investigators are examining the use of flares placed in bottles, a practice that has become widespread in European bars and nightclubs, as well as the possible presence of low-quality acoustic foam that may have intensified the blaze.

The capacity and accessibility of the staircase leading to the basement where the party was held is also under scrutiny.

The cantonal prosecutor has confirmed that the bar did have an emergency exit, though the high death toll suggests many victims were unable to locate it.

The venue’s owners, a French couple, are under criminal investigation and have pledged to cooperate with authorities.

In one of their few public statements, they said the bar had been inspected three times over the past decade, despite regulations requiring annual inspections for public venues, raising questions about possible administrative oversight failures. EFE

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