Skiers Create Massive Heart in Honor of 40 Casualties from New Year’s Blaze at Swiss Pub
During a recent New Year’s festivity in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, sparklers on Champagne bottles sparked a tragic blaze in Le Constellation, a packed basement bar located within an Alpine ski resort. As flames engulfed the bar and consumed its wooden ceilings, teenagers and young adults fought to flee up a cramped staircase, leading to a crowd surge, according to two witnesses.
“Individuals were falling. We were doing everything possible to assist them,” 14-year-old Marc-Antoine Chavanon informed the Associated Press. “There was one of our friends: She was having difficulty getting out. She was badly burned. You can’t fathom the agony I witnessed.”
In the days after the blaze, Swiss officials confirmed that 40 individuals lost their lives in the accident, most of whom were in their teens and 20s, primarily from Switzerland, France, and Italy. Officials have also indicated that an additional 116 individuals were injured, with 83 still receiving treatment for severe burns. Recent police reports revealed that Le Constellation had not had safety inspections for five years, instigating significant public outcry. Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the bar’s proprietors, are currently being investigated for manslaughter, bodily harm, and negligence leading to arson.
“We deeply regret this,” Nicolas Feraud, the mayor of Crans-Montana, stated during a recent press conference, noting that he couldn’t explain why the bar hadn’t been inspected in years. Venues, according to the BBC, are supposed to be checked on an annual basis. “We’re incredibly sorry about that and I realize how difficult this will be for the families.”
“The primary aspect of this tragedy is witnessing young lives cut short in this manner, or being injured and carrying scars forever,” Romain Jordan, a firefighter who helped extinguish the fire, told The Guardian. “Then you quickly realize that it possibly occurred due to human errors… and the most troubling part is that the authorities may have been negligent. So all these layers combine into an unfathomable nightmare, making it hard to comprehend.”
Jordan also remarked: “The entire world is observing us because, if it can transpire in Switzerland, one of the wealthiest countries globally, where else could it happen? What caused this tragedy, and how can we ensure it never occurs anywhere else?”
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, but the tragedy has already spurred numerous tributes, including a national day of mourning in Switzerland and a memorial ceremony in Crans-Montana itself. Earlier this week, hundreds of skiers gathered at the ski resort, climbing its nearby mountain. As reported by The New York Times, many of the skiers at the resort were children initially scheduled for races in the upcoming days. This tribute aimed to honor these victims specifically, with skiers forming a heart-shaped assembly.
Scroll down to view the beautiful tribute that countless skiers participated in.