An investigation is focusing on Jacques and Jessica Moretti, owners of Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, after a New Year fire killed 40 and injured 119
An investigation is underway after a devastating fire at a Swiss ski resort bar killed 40 people and injured 119, putting the spotlight on the French owners of the establishment.
Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who run Le Constellation in Crans-Montana along with two other businesses in the area, were questioned as witnesses at the start of the inquiry. The public prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation against the couple for “negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson.”
Authorities are now working to determine whether the Morettis bear responsibility for the tragedy, which preliminary findings suggest may have been caused by smouldering candles mounted on champagne bottles placed too close to the basement ceiling.
A Corsican connection
Jacques Moretti hails from Ghisonaccia in Upper Corsica, while his wife Jessica comes from the Côte d’Azur. Before moving to Switzerland, Jacques ran a bar in Bonifacio, a popular Corsican port town. Jean-Charles Orsucci, mayor of Bonifacio since 2008, told AFP that he had “good relations” with Moretti during that time.
The couple moved to the upscale Swiss Alpine resort in 2015, purchasing Le Constellation. They later registered Le Senso cafe-restaurant in 2020 and the Corsican inn Le Vieux Chalet in 2023, according to commercial registries.
‘A friend of the resort’
Locals describe the Morettis as hard-working and committed. “He did his job very seriously, and we saw him every day, he was always there, always there, always committed,” said Charles-Andre Bagnoud, a Crans-Montana notary. “He’s a friend, he settled here, it was his first bar, then he had two others. He’s a hard worker, he’s a friend of the resort.”
Investigators are examining the bar’s basement, looking at the materials used, operational permits, and emergency safety measures. Particular attention is on acoustic foam on the ceiling, which appears to have ignited quickly, as well as compliance with regulations for exits and emergency signage. Witnesses reported chaotic scenes of pushing and shoving, especially on staircases.
‘We are in mourning too’
Asked by journalists outside his home, Jacques Moretti said, “Leave us alone, we are in mourning too.” He had previously told La Tribune de Genève that the bar had been inspected “three times in 10 years” and that “everything was done according to standards.”
Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Wallis canton, stressed that the investigation “was opened because we have suspicions, but as long as there is no conviction, the presumption of innocence prevails.” No pretrial detention has been imposed while the inquiry continues.
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