Crans-Montana mourns as more victims are identified after deadly New Year fire

Crans-Montana, the Swiss ski resort where a New Year’s Day blaze killed at least 40 people, was in mourning as authorities and families continued to identify victims and the town held commemorations.

Police said 24 victims had been identified so far and that 119 people were injured, many seriously. Church bells rang and a packed Mass was held in French, German and Italian; crowds then marched to Le Constellation bar, the site of the fire, applauding firefighters and leaving flowers and candles at a makeshift shrine.

Survivors and relatives described lasting trauma and loss. Danielo Janjic, 20, told reporters from his hospital bed in Sion that his burns will heal but that “I’m going to be scarred for life,” and that he hears the screams of that night. Officials and relatives have named other victims, including teenagers and young adults, and the Swiss boxing federation said Benjamin Johnson died trying to rescue a friend, according to its president Amir Orfia.

Investigators have said identifying badly burned bodies has been slow, prolonging families’ anguish. Authorities have placed the two managers of Le Constellation under criminal investigation and said they believe the fire was probably caused by small fireworks on bottles that ignited foam insulation; inquiries are under way to determine whether design or management flaws contributed.

Key Topics

World, Crans-montana, Le Constellation, Switzerland, Foam Insulation, Benjamin Johnson