A BARTENDER claimed the emergency doors were “always closed” at the Swiss resort bar that burst into a horrific fire on New Year’s Eve.
It comes as authorities have identified 16 more victims, many of them teenagers, of the deadly inferno that killed more than 40 people as efforts continue to relocate the bodies among desperate families.
Andrea, 31, who works elsewhere in Crans-Montana, told Bild he was a regular customer at Le Constellation, the bar where 119 other people were also injured, and claims the emergency exit was always closed when he visited.
The couple who run the bar, Jacques, 49, and Jessica Moretti, 40, now face charges of negligent homicide, negligent bodily injury and negligent arson.
Police are investigating whether adequate safety measures were in place before the tragedy occurred, including whether the staircase was too narrow.
A former firefighter also claims the pub used “essentially the same” foam insulation as Grenfell.
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What we know so far…
Jacques, in a previous interview, maintained the couple’s innocencesaying that “everything was done according to standards” and that the place had been inspected several times since it was taken over.
The club owner was pictured for the first time since the deadly fire leaving his home in nearby Lens by car, but refused to answer questions when approached by The Sun.
He left as Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans said: “The world needs answers.”
The newly identified victims include 10 Swiss, two Italians, a person with Italian-Emirati citizenship, a Romanian, a person from France and one from Turkey, Valais police said.
A total of 24 have been identified, but the majority have not yet been identified.
Stéphane Ganzer, Valais State Councilor in charge of Security, said: “Someone made a mistake, I’m sure.”
Speaking on Swiss radio, he said: “Such a serious fire in Switzerland, where we have professional standards and controls, means something went wrong.
There was an emergency exit and there were controls.
“For me, the problem is not just the sails, but also the roof.”
One witness said: “There was no second way out and that was a big problem.
“But what I remember most is all those people lying in the streets.
“Young girls who were dressed to go out at night because it was New Year’s.
“Their faces were completely red, they no longer had fingers, they were screaming in pain.
“They tried to take them in ambulances to get to the hospital, to get to the helicopters.
“Those screams were incredible, horrible.
“And that was something you never want to see in your life.
“You see it in the movies, but when you see it in reality, it’s really a disaster, it’s horrible to see.”
