Swiss bar owner held after deadly New Year fire

One of the owners of a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana has been placed in pretrial detention after a deadly fire during a New Year's Eve party, investigators said on Friday.

The fire at the bar "Le Constellation" turned the venue into a deadly trap where 40 people lost their lives on New Year's Eve.

According to investigative sources, French national Jacques M. was remanded in custody in Canton of Valais after more than six hours of questioning by prosecutors in the cantonal capital, Sion. Moretti and his wife, Jessica M., are under investigation on suspicion of negligent homicide and causing bodily harm.

"Based on his statements, his previous work history, and his personal situation in Switzerland and abroad, the prosecutor's office considered the risk of flight to be concrete," the prosecutor's office in the canton of Valais said on Friday.

Jessica M., who also operated the establishment, was not considered a flight risk and would not be placed in pre-trial detention, prosecutors said.

The couple arrived at the Valais public prosecutor's office on Friday morning and passed waiting media with their heads lowered. It was their first formal questioning since criminal proceedings were opened on January 3.

In a statement released earlier this week, the couple said they were fully cooperating with investigators.

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Romain Jordan, a lawyer representing victims' families, said ahead of the questioning that relatives were seeking clear answers as to how the tragedy could have occurred despite what he described as Switzerland's extensive legal, regulatory, and oversight frameworks. He said it was essential for those affected that all responsibilities be established "from A to Z."

The fire in a bar in the Alps that resulted in the deaths of 40 people was likely sparked from bottles topped by sparklers that were held too close to the ceiling, officials have said. Swiss authorities have admitted failing to carry out any fire and safety checks in the past five years.

As the couple were questioned, Switzerland held a minute's silence at 2 p.m. (1300 UTC/GMT) on Friday. Church bells rang nationwide for five minutes, followed by a large memorial ceremony.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the fire "one of the worst tragedies our country has experienced."

"Hope... depends on our justice system's ability to bring failures to light and to impose consequences without delay or leniency. This is a moral responsibility as well as a duty of the state," Parmelin said.

Around 1,000 people took part in the ceremony, including many emergency responders. Attendees held white roses in remembrance of those who died.

Meanwhile, about 1,400 people gathered to view the ceremony on a giant screen the nearby Crans-Montana congress center.

Half of those killed in the fire were minors. The youngest victim was 14, the oldest 39. Of the 114 people injured, 83 were still being treated in hospital on Friday. Many were taken to specialist burn units, including some transferred to hospitals in Germany.

The victims came from 19 countries, including nine from France and six from Italy. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Luxembourg's former grand duke Henri attended the memorial service in Martigny, about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) southwest of Crans-Montana.