Deadly Swiss ski bar fire highlights five years of oversight failures, mayor says

Swiss officials have provided an update on the New Year’s Eve fire at a Crans-Montana ski resort which killed 40 and injured 116.

Local authorities have confirmed that the Le Constellation bar had not undergone any safety checks, investigations or audits for five years. It has also been confirmed that the use of sparklers, despite a ban on fireworks in local venues, was the likely cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, a criminal investigation was launched into the French couple who managed the bar-a venue popular with younger crowds in a town where the drinking age is 16.

The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, answered questions at a news conference regarding the bar’s ceiling panels, which apparently caught fire and had not been tested for fire safety.

Feraud apologized profusely for the fact that the venue had not undergone any safety checks or inspections for five years, but he maintained that he would not resign.

He has further expressed that he would carry the memory of that night and the profound grief of the families with him forever.

According to the BBC, the mayor faced tough questions from reporters including and was criticized by the council for “playing the victim” while fulfilling his responsibilities and ensuring safety checks were completed.

According to Feraud this information has been presented to the government accompanied by a statement: “We regret that-we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility.”

Teams have been further deployed to carry out additional inspections in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the city council officials are working with the management of the Le Constellation bar to determine the actual cause of the tragic incident.