Swiss prosecutors place inferno bar managers under investigation

Swiss prosecutors said on Saturday they have placed under criminal investigation the two managers of a bar where a blaze on New Year's Day killed at least 40 people.

The offences they are suspected of having committed are homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, the prosecutors' office in the canton of Valais said in a statement.

"A criminal investigation was opened last night against the two managers of the bar," police and the public prosecutor's office in the southwestern Swiss canton of Wallis said in a statement. "They are charged with manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence."

Police also said they had identified the bodies of four Swiss victims, including two minors, of the tragedy in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Valais canton police said investigators had identified the remains of a Swiss woman of 21, a man of 18, as well as a girl of 16 and a boy of 16. Police added the bodies had been returned to their families as efforts continue to identify the other victims.

So far, 40 people are known to have died in the blaze at a packed bar in the ski resort with 119 revelers injured. 

Flowers and candles

Swiss investigators have continued their work in identifying the victims and exact cause of the blaze.

Dozens of people badly burnt in the fire early on Thursday in the Alpine town were taken to nearby countries for urgent treatment, while authorities pointed the finger at lit sparklers attached to champagne bottles igniting foam on the ceiling. 

People continued to bring flowers, candles and messages on Saturday to a makeshift memorial near the scene of the tragedy at the Constellation bar, where people have often simply stood in stunned silence. 

"Courage to all the victims' families, we're thinking of Stefan and hoping he's okay; a hero," said one message. Cards read: "We're thinking of you" and "May they rest in peace."  

The tragedy remains the topic of every conversation, filled with pain, sadness, and also incomprehension. The disaster has left Switzerland reeling, with families of the overwhelmingly young partygoers waiting for news of their loved ones. Most of the 119 people wounded in the fire remained in a serious condition.  

Of those injured, 113 have been identified, the Wallis canton's regional police commander Frederic Gisler said Friday, adding that officials were working "relentlessly" to finish the job.

Many of those injured were foreign nationals, and given Crans-Montana's international popularity, non-Swiss citizens are also widely expected to figure among the dead.            

'Swiss bar was 'a real prison’

Ferdinand Du-Beaudiez, a survivor of the fire, told CGTN that "a bottle of champagne with one of the small fireworks on it set fire to the ceiling." It confirmed what the Valais region's prosecutor said was the most likely scenario.

"There was no way out," Du-Beaudiez said. "There was only one staircase, which was completely blocked besides, because of the crowd movement. So it was a real prison."

The 19-year-old Frenchman managed to escape suffering only minor burns.

"My reflex was to hide my face in my arms, and I only got burned on the back of my neck.'

119 victims with severe burns were transported to hospitals in Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany and Poland.

Crans-Montana is in shock with families still waiting to hear whether their children were among the deceased.

"I think I know someone who died in the fire, but I'm still waiting to hear from authorities," a local girl told CGTN.

"It's very very sad," another local added. "It's our ski town, it's our beloved town. And then it happened. That's it. It's awful. It's a bit like our 9/11."

Authorities are continuing to identify the deceased and say it could take days or even weeks before they are able to name all the victims.