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Outside St Christopher’s Church, hundreds gathered in the snow-dusted street for a special Sunday Mass to honor the victims of the devastating fire that engulfed Le Constellation bar on New Year’s Eve.
Mourners embraced, many shedding tears as they remembered the dozens who perished and those still hospitalized with severe burns, fighting for their lives.
During the solemn service, several individuals in the crowd were overcome with emotion and fainted.
All 40 of the deceased have now been identified, though their names have not yet been publicly released. Their remains are being returned to their families, some of whom had clung to the hope that their children might be found injured, but alive.
They are now facing the most devastating news imaginable.
Since the fire, Laetitia Brodard had been sharing images of her teenage son, Arthur, online, pleading for assistance in locating him. On Sunday, she was present at the memorial service, receiving comfort from friends.
“He died that first day,” Laetitia confirmed.
In a poignant Facebook post, she stated that Arthur had “gone to party in paradise.”
The victims’ bodies were so severely burned that identification has been challenging. Even some of those injured and hospitalized remain unidentified, as they are unconscious and unrecognizable.
Forensic experts are relying on DNA samples and dental records for identification, prolonging the agonizing wait for the families.
The bar was filled with young people that night, many of whom were teenagers. The legal drinking age in Switzerland is 16.
Some survivors participated in a silent procession following the Sunday Mass, walking from the church towards the bar. Above, in the breathtaking Swiss Alps, cable cars transported tourists to the slopes.
The site of the fire remains cordoned off behind white plastic sheets, but a growing shrine of flowers and soft toys stands in front.
Among the bouquets are handwritten notes with names and photographs.
The crowd erupted in applause as a large group of firefighters and rescue workers in uniform arrived at the memorial, standing arm in arm, weeping for those they could not save.
For the residents of Crans, they are heroes.
The local fire commander, who considered resigning after his experience, shared that he and his colleagues now felt like a family.
“I need them, and they need me,” David Vocat said, visibly emotional. “All my thoughts are with the victims and their families. I am so sorry.”
Teenagers who witnessed people fleeing the burning bar recounted horrific scenes they say they will never forget.
A criminal investigation has been launched. The bar owners, a French couple, are suspected of manslaughter, arson, and causing bodily harm through negligence.
Police and prosecutors are reviewing footage from inside Le Constellation that shows the fire’s origin: bar staff delivering champagne bottles with sparklers attached, held aloft.
The sparks appear to have ignited the foam-covered ceiling, used for soundproofing, causing the flames to spread rapidly.
Investigators will assess whether the foam and other materials met safety standards.
They will also examine potential overcrowding, emergency exit access from the basement, and the availability of fire extinguishers.
Some videos show teenagers desperately trying to extinguish the fire with their T-shirts. Initially, many did not recognize the immense danger and continued dancing and filming the fire instead of escaping.
On Sunday, a group of men, some with their faces obscured by black scarves, gathered to remember a man who died at the bar, known locally as “Stefi.”
“We’re here for our colleague,” one of them said, struggling to speak. “Stefi’s final path was here. May he now rest in peace.”
“It was important to be here, with the families. We can’t change things, we can only be here,” Diana said, after praying with two other women for a group of friends still hospitalized.
“We only hope they make it.”
“We are not angry,” Diana told me. “But we believe the police will do their work well, and we hope there is justice.”
Among those killed in the Le Constellation fire is 16-year-old Swiss national Arthur Brodard, his mother has confirmed.
This follows a preliminary investigation indicating that the likely cause was sparklers on champagne bottles held too close to the ceiling.
Charlotte Niddam previously attended schools in Hertfordshire and London.
Families are appealing for information about children as young as 15 who are believed to have been at the bar.
Authorities have confirmed that 40 people died in the blaze in the resort of Crans-Montana.
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