#crans-montana-fire

#crans-montana-fire

An additional 116 people were injured, many of them seriously, when the fire broke out less than two hours after midnight at the Le Constellation bar on Jan. 1. Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out since 2019.

The bar that was the scene of the fire, Le Constellation in the resort of Crans-Montana, was full of Swiss people and tourists celebrating New Year's Day in the early hours of Thursday when the blaze began in the basement area. Prosecutors say that, according to initial investigations, the likely cause of the fire was sparklers on champagne bottles being carried "too close to the ceiling".

The win was an emotional one for Rast, who competed wearing a black armband in remembrance of the victims of the recent fire in Crans-Montana. The Swiss skier hails from Vétroz, just 20 miles from the resort, and dedicated her victory to the victims and families, stating in her post-race interview that she hoped her win gave a smile to those at home during this difficult time.