Swiss bar owners questioned over January fire that killed 41

The owners of a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana appeared for questioning on Friday, June 5, 2026, as part of the investigation into a fire that killed 41 people on January 1. Jacques and Jessica Moretti arrived at the prosecutor's office in Sion in an unmarked police vehicle.

They declined to speak to reporters. The couple faced cross-examination by prosecutors and lawyers representing survivors and victims' families. The Morettis face charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.

Prosecutors allege the bar failed to follow required safety protocols.

Investigation details The inquiry is examining the local authority's actions, the fire prevention measures at the bar, and the sequence of events that led to the fire. No annual municipal safety checks had been carried out at the bar since 2019. Prosecutors believe the fire started when champagne bottles with sparklers were raised too close to the ceiling in the basement, igniting sound-insulation foam.

Seventeen of those killed were aged 16 or under. Fourteen people remain under criminal investigation, including several current and former local officials.

Statements from victims' representatives Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, whose 16-year-old son died in the fire, attended the hearing. She told journalists she needed answers for the 40 other victims and the 115 injured, some of whom remain hospitalized. Lawyers for the civil parties said the hearing was the Morettis' last chance to address points that remain unclear.

They also said the couple had already been questioned twice since the investigation opened and had been barred from leaving the country.