Deadly Swiss Ski Bar Fire: Owner’s Custody Extended
A Swiss judge extends custody for a ski bar owner after a deadly ski resort fire killed 40 people, exposing shocking safety failures.
A judge in Switzerland has ordered that one of the two co-owners of a ski resort bar where a New Year's Eve fire killed 40 people be held in custody for 90 days.
Swiss prosecutors argued that French national Jacques Moretti was a flight risk. He and his wife Jessica, also French, are suspected of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson.
The fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana also injured 116 people. Many of the victims were under 20 years old.
The fire is believed to have been started by sparklers attached to champagne bottles during celebrations, which were held too close to the ceiling.
Authorities admitted last week that the bar in the popular ski resort had not undergone a safety inspection for five years.
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New Year Horror: Dozens Killed in Swiss Ski Resort Bar Fire |
Jacques Moretti was initially taken into custody on Friday for an initial 48-hour period.
On Monday, a judge in what is known as the court of coercive measures ruled that he should be held in custody for three months – a period that can be extended under Swiss law.
This is known as provisional – or preventative – detention and is intended to keep someone in custody until the case goes to trial.
In this case, the court said the measure could be lifted upon payment of bail, the amount of which would be determined later.
A criminal investigation was launched against the couple days after the devastating fire.
Moretti's wife, Jessica, who is under house arrest, told reporters on Friday that she was saddened by the "unimaginable tragedy."
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Prosecutors have said they believe the fire started when New Year's Eve revelers raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached, igniting sound-insulating foam on the ceiling of the basement bar. The news that the bar had not been inspected for five years has shocked the victims' families.
Places like Le Constellation should have been inspected annually, but Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Féraud said on Tuesday that he could not explain why this had not been done at the bar for so long.
"We regret this – we are accountable to the families, and we will accept responsibility," he said.
He added that fireworks would be banned at local venues.
Most of the fire victims were young – eight were under 16 years old.
Many of the injured suffered severe burns. Eighty people are being treated in hospitals in Switzerland and other European countries.
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