Swiss officials have now identified all forty people who died in a terrible fire. The fire happened at a popular bar on New Year's Eve. This difficult work took time because many victims were badly hurt. Identifying the people gives some comfort to their families. However, the injured people still have a long way to recover. The fire has greatly affected Switzerland and other countries. Police are now treating this as a crime. The bar's managers are being questioned.
The fire started at "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana. It is believed that fountain candles started the blaze. These candles are often used for celebrations. They may have been too close to the bar's ceiling. This could have caused a very fast and strong fire. The flames spread quickly through the building. It is possible the building materials made the fire worse. Because of this, there was little chance for people to escape. This led to many deaths, which is very unusual for Switzerland.
Authorities worked hard to find out who had died. The victims were between 14 and 39 years old. They came from many different countries. This shows that Crans-Montana is a popular place for tourists. Twenty-one people were from Switzerland. Nine were from France. Six were from Italy. People from Belgium, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey also died. The large number of young victims has made everyone very sad.
It was very hard to identify the victims. Many had severe burns. This made it impossible to recognize them. Experts used dental records and DNA to identify them. Police announced sixteen more identifications on Sunday. This included ten Swiss people, one Romanian, one French, and one from Turkey. Some had more than one nationality. Before this, four Swiss victims were identified on Saturday.
Many people are feeling great sadness. Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey said, "Countless people join us — people whose hearts are broken." Pope Leo XIV also sent his sympathy. One mother said she finds comfort knowing her 16-year-old son is "in peace and in the light." Another victim was 16-year-old Emanuele Galeppini. He was a talented Italian golfer.
One hundred and nineteen people were injured. They are in hospitals in Switzerland and other countries. Some are in special burn units in France and Germany. Most of the injured have been identified. However, six people are still not recognized. This is because their burns are very serious. Their families are still waiting for news. The police are investigating the managers of the bar to find out what happened.