MANSLAUGHTER charges could be handed down to the owners of the Swiss ski resort nightclub after a deadly inferno killed 40 people trapped inside.
The married couple who bought the venue in 2015 turned it from a rundown café into a party hotspot for the après-ski crowd at Crans-Montana.
Jacques Moretti, 49, did most of the renovation work on Le Constellation himself.
More than 200 young people celebrating the New Year were crammed into Le Constellation, a ritzy bar at the popular ski resort in Valais, when the “flashover” inferno broke out – leaving 40 dead and hundreds with third degree burns.
A probe has been launched into how the horrific blaze began in the early hours of New Year’s Day in the bar’s basement and spread so fast, the municipality attorney general said.
Valais’ top lawyer Beatrice Pilloud said investigators had started the grim task of combing through the blackened ruins of the venue, examining videos on social media and interviewing survivors for clues.
The probe will also focus on previous renovations and the materials used.
Jacques previously told media outlets that he had spent six months renovating the premises into the glitzy niterie.
He and his wife Jessica, 40, both French nationals, have been questioned by police and later shared their grief with media outlets.
It’s understood Moretti was not at the venue on the night; however, it has been reported Jessica was, suffering burns to her arm.
Further investigations will determine whether there are grounds for criminal liability involving any individuals, Pilloud added.
“If this is indeed the case and these individuals are still alive, an investigation will be opened against them for negligent arson, negligent homicide, and negligent bodily injury,” she said.
Pilloud said the pair had not been interviewed under caution, but added police could take action if they were considered flight risks.
The availability of adequate fire extinguishing systems and escape routes, and patron numbers will also be investigated.
Terrified witnesses believe the deadly fire was sparked by champagne sparklers which set fire to the ceiling of the packed venue.
Bottle service waitresses, donning bizarre neon motorcycle helmets, can be seen carrying sparkling candles in glass bottles to tables of revellers, in advertising material released by Le Constellation.
Pilloud said everything was pointing to the sparklers as being the cause of the fire.
“From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread blaze ensued,” she said.
Ski resort power couple
Jacques and Jessica fell in love with Crans-Montana after visiting for the first time in 2011, The Times has reported.
Following the success of Le Constellation, the Morettis expanded their business ventures in the glam ski resort town, opening a gourmet burger restaurant called Senso in Crans-Montana in 2020, and a Corsican-style inn, Le Vieux Chalet, in the nearby village of Lens in 2023.
The couple, who have a child, previously told Le Nouvelliste he felt at home in the Alps because he grew up in the mountains of Corsica.
“We’re mountain people first and foremost. Headstrong, but above all, we’re very kind,” he said.
The distraught couple spoke for the first time since the shocking blaze.
Jacques told Swiss outlet 20 Minuten: “We can neither sleep nor eat, we are all very unwell”.
Jacques, a French national, also spoke briefly with 24heures, saying: “Everything was done according to the standards”.
He said since taking on the venue, it had been inspected three times in 10 years.
Jacques said he and his wife would do “everything we can” to help the investigation.
“We are doing everything in our power. Our lawyers are also involved,” he said.
