MARTIGNY, Switzerland (AP) — Switzerland held a national day of mourning on Friday for the 40 people who died in an Alpine bar fire during a New Year’s Eve celebration, as prosecutors requested one of the managers to be placed in pre-trial detention.
Valais region’s chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said in a statement the detention of the man was needed to avoid a “risk of flight.” The man's wife and co-manager will remain free under judicial supervision, the statement said.
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People observe a minute of silence on the national day of mourning, at the main station in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 9, 2026, following the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)
Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin, left, delivers his statement as Former Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, left, and Emmanuel Macron, right, President of France appear on the screen, during the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone/Pool via AP)
Participants hold flowers during the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone/Pool via AP)
People gather to watch the official commemorative ceremony on a giant screen in front of the St. Christopher Chapel in Crans-Montana during the national day of mourning following the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)
Swiss President Guy Parmelin writes in a condolence book prior to the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana at the CERM in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone/Pool via AP)
A victim with burned hands and relatives attend the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone/Pool via AP)
The owners of the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, where the deadly fire happened on New Year's Day, Jacques und Jessica Moretti from France, center, arrive with their lawyers Patrick Michod, Yael Hayat and Nicola Meier, to be auditioned by the Valais public prosecutor's office in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, January 9, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Plaques bearing flags representing Switzerland, Romania, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, France, and Turkey are placed along with flowers and candles to honor the victims of the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)
Mourners gather around flowers and candles to commemorate the victims of the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge's fire, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
FILE - A child watches as an adult places a candle outside the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner, File)
A Swiss business register lists French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti as the owners of Le Constellation bar, in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, where a fire broke out less than two hours after midnight on Jan. 1. As well as the fatalities, 116 people were injured, many of them seriously.
Local media reported that Moretti was being held in custody pending the court’s decision after the couple were questioned by prosecutors in Sion on Friday morning.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the owners, who are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire.
A memorial service and a minute's silence marked Friday’s national homage, while church bells across Switzerland rang out for five minutes, beginning at 2 p.m.. Across the country, people gathered to light candles, put down flowers for the victims and followed the national ceremony that was livestreamed on public television.
Speaking at the memorial ceremony in Martigny, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said that “the memory of that terrible night illuminates the faces of the 156 victims, their happy days, their carefree spirit."
He added: "Our country is appalled by this tragedy. It bows before the memory of those who are no longer with us. It stands by the bedside of those who are about to embark on a long road to recovery.”
Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire 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 severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.
An autopsy has been ordered for five of the six Italian victims and has been delegated to the prosecutors' offices in Milan, Bologna, and Genoa, where the bodies of the victims have been returned.
“What happened is not a disaster: It’s the result of too many people who didn’t do their job or who thought they were making easy money,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said during a press conference on Friday. “Those responsible must be identified and prosecuted.”
Meloni said the State Attorney General’s Office has contacted the Swiss Attorney General to follow the investigation. She also confirmed that the Rome Prosecutor’s Office has started a separate probe.
“The families have my word that they will not be left alone while they seek justice,” she added.
The Paris prosecutor’s office Monday announced that it was opening a probe to assist the Swiss investigation and make it easier for families of French victims to communicate with Swiss investigators. Nine French citizens were killed, the youngest of them aged 14, and 23 others were injured.
People observe a minute of silence on the national day of mourning, at the main station in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 9, 2026, following the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)
Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin, left, delivers his statement as Former Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri, left, and Emmanuel Macron, right, President of France appear on the screen, during the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone/Pool via AP)
Participants hold flowers during the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone/Pool via AP)
People gather to watch the official commemorative ceremony on a giant screen in front of the St. Christopher Chapel in Crans-Montana during the national day of mourning following the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)
Swiss President Guy Parmelin writes in a condolence book prior to the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana at the CERM in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone/Pool via AP)
A victim with burned hands and relatives attend the official commemorative ceremony for the victims of the deadly fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, in Martigny, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone/Pool via AP)
The owners of the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana, where the deadly fire happened on New Year's Day, Jacques und Jessica Moretti from France, center, arrive with their lawyers Patrick Michod, Yael Hayat and Nicola Meier, to be auditioned by the Valais public prosecutor's office in Sion, Switzerland, Friday, January 9, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Plaques bearing flags representing Switzerland, Romania, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, France, and Turkey are placed along with flowers and candles to honor the victims of the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)
Mourners gather around flowers and candles to commemorate the victims of the "Le Constellation" bar and lounge's fire, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
FILE - A child watches as an adult places a candle outside the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner, File)
