Owner of Swiss bar that burned down killing 41 'fled inferno without alerting partygoers' to the danger on New Year's Eve

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:50, 30 April 2026 | Updated: 01:50, 30 April 2026 One of the owners of a Swiss nightclub that burned down in a deadly New Years fire fled the venue without warning partygoers of the danger that was unfolding, prosecutors have said.  The inferno at Le Constellation bar in the Alpine ski resort of Crans Montana killed 41 people and injured another 115.  The fire is believed to have been caused as staff waved champagne bottles plugged with sparklers close to the ceiling. Investigators believe it then rapidly developed into a 'flashover' - likely igniting much of the venue in seconds and rendering escape almost impossible. Swiss prosecutors showed security footage taken inside the venue to lawyers representing the families of the victims earlier this week, The Times reports.  Fabrizio Ventimiglia, representing 16-year-old Italian survivor Sofia Donadio, said a video showed Jessica Moretti, who owned the bar with her husband, running up the stairs to the exit after she spotted the fire.  'What makes me angry is she does not help anyone and does not stop anyone entering — she doesn't say anything, and I believe she had a moral, ethical and legal obligation to do so,' said Mr Ventimiglia. Mrs Moretti told prosecutors she 'panicked' when she saw the flames and left the bar to call the fire brigade, adding that her intention was to come back when the venue had been evacuated.  Pictured: Jessica Moretti, one of the owners of Le Constellation Bar, pictured in February Screen grab from a previously released video reveals the moment the packed Swiss nightclub burst into flames after a waitress hoisted champagne bottles topped with sparklers beneath a low ceiling Flowers and candles in tribute to the victims are displayed at a makeshift memorial following a fire at 'Le Constellation' bar during New Year's Eve celebrations on January 3, 2026 Mr Ventimiglia asked: 'Why didn't she block people who continued to enter? That's serious.'  The lawyer added that footage showed Mrs Moretti and her staff inserting the sparklers in champagne bottles before she lit the sparkler she was carrying. 'She is obviously the boss and so it's logical to assume she was deciding everything,' he said. Mrs Moretti said that one of the security guard's she had hired, Stefan Ivanovic, knew where the fire extinguishers were. But Mr Ventimiglia said video appeared to show the security guard and the bar's DJ - both who were victims of the fire - searching for the extinguishers.  'At first they can't find them, then the DJ finds one but it's too late,' he said. Mrs Moretti and her husband Jacques are under criminal investigation, facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence. They face up to 20 years in prison if charged and found guilty of manslaughter. Investigators believe that sparkling candles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling, which was outfitted with soundproofing material.  Owners of Le Constellation bar Jacques Moretti (L) and Jessica Moretti (R) arrive to attend a hearing at the Office of the public prosecutor of the Canton of Valais as part of the inquiry into a devastating New Year's fire in Sion on February 11, 2026 They are looking into whether the material conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Local authorities have said that fire safety inspections of the bar hadn’t been carried out since 2019. With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.