New details about the devastating fire at the Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, which claimed 40 lives on New Year's Eve, have been revealed; a service door in the basement was locked from the inside.
The bar owner, Jacques Moretti, admitted this to investigators, as reported by Swiss broadcaster RTS.
Moretti says he found several lifeless bodies when he opened the door from the outside. The public prosecutor's office is now investigating the new revelations.
This details is of crucial importance to the investigation. Several guests of the bar tried to escape through this door when the fire broke out, but were trapped behind the door, and eventually lost their lives.
Moretti says he did not know why the door was locked. If the public prosecutor concludes that Jacques and Jessica Moretti were partly to blame for the door being locked, this could increase the charges levelled against them.
The defendants are currently being charged with involuntary manslaughter, negligent arson and negligent bodily harm.
If the prosecutors concludes that the owners knew that the door was locked and finds that they accepted this risk, the judges could find that the murder was committed with contingent intent.
In this case, Jacques and Jessica Moretti could face up to twenty years behind bars.
Another crucial detail to the investigation surrounds the acoustic dampening foam used in the ceiling of the bar.
Jacques Moretti stated that he had removed the old acoustic foam and replaced it with a new one which he had acquired from the Hornbach DIY store. Swiss media say the bar staff were aware of the risks associated with this foam.
On New Year's Eve 2019, a waiter is said to have warned guests of the risk of setting fire to the soundproofing on the ceiling. Prosecutors are investigating the validity of this claim. If found to be true, this could also further increase charges against the Morettis.
Curated by Marcus Thompson
