The chief prosecutor of the Swiss canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, said today that a fire at a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, which broke out during New Year’s Eve, was not deliberately started, reports the British newspaper The Guardian.
At a press conference, Pilloud said that so far there have been no arrests or identified suspects, and that the investigation into the causes and circumstances of the fire is still ongoing. She added that she could not comment on allegations that the fire allegedly broke out when a candle ignited the wooden ceiling, noting that the exact number of people who were in the bar at the time was not known.
The president of the cantonal council of Valais, Mathias Reynard, said that about 35 people sought medical attention, while about 80 injured people were treated in hospitals, with “a significant number of them in critical condition.” He said that several patients had been transferred to larger and more specialized health facilities.
Reynard added that the canton had received an offer of assistance from specialized units from Italy, and that there was a possibility that some of the injured, many of whom were young, would be transferred to hospitals in neighboring countries for treatment.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin said the fire was “one of the worst tragedies Switzerland has ever experienced.” He stressed that the victims included both local residents and tourists who had traveled to Crans-Montana for the holidays.
Parmelin also announced that flags across the country would be flown at half-mast for the next five days as a sign of mourning.
Police had earlier said that 40 people had died in the fire, while 115 were injured.
