The proprietors of a Swiss nightspot where a devastating fire claimed 40 lives on New Year's Eve have recounted the final moments of a waitress they considered a stepdaughter, who perished behind a locked emergency exit.
A Fatal Instruction and a Locked Door
Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the owners of Le Constellation bar in the upscale Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, have given detailed statements to investigators. They revealed that Jessica Moretti, 40, encouraged waitress Cyane Panine to "get the atmosphere going" in the early hours of January 1st. This involved staff placing sparklers in champagne bottles, with some waitresses then hoisted onto the shoulders of waiters in the basement area.
Tragically, flames from these sparklers are believed to have ignited acoustic foam in the ceiling, sparking an inferno that killed 40 people and left 116 others with severe burns. Jacques Moretti, 49, later forced open an exterior service door to the basement, finding Cyane Panine dying amidst a "pile of bodies." He told the Valais public prosecutor's office he only discovered after the fire that this crucial door was "locked from the inside and on a latch."
Owners' Accounts and Mounting Charges
The couple, originally from Corsica, now face potential trial for charges including manslaughter and causing bodily harm by negligence. Mr Moretti is currently in custody, while his wife has been released on bail with an electronic tag. In his testimony, Mr Moretti described Cyane as the girlfriend of a close family friend they had "raised as if he were my own." He recounted the desperate attempt to save her, stating he and her boyfriend "tried to resuscitate her for more than an hour in the street" until emergency services declared it too late.
Jessica Moretti, interviewed separately, claimed she shouted for everyone to evacuate upon seeing an orange glow and called the fire brigade at 1:28am. She stated she then drove home in a panic, on her husband's instruction, to be with their children. However, prosecutors are examining CCTV footage allegedly showing her leaving with the bar's cash register, which could lead to further charges of failing to assist persons in danger.
Systemic Failures and a Young Victim Profile
The investigation has exposed multiple alleged safety failures. Mr Moretti admitted the bar had no sprinkler system or fire extinguishers, and staff received no formal fire safety training. He claimed fire inspections over ten years never required renovations, though the couple had installed the acoustic foam themselves during a 2015 refurbishment.
While defending the use of champagne sparklers as routine, Mrs Moretti conceded the stunt of carrying them near the ceiling "wasn't the first time." The tragedy has also raised serious questions about underage patrons; most victims were teenagers, including a 14-year-old French boy. Mr Moretti said the bar banned under-16s but admitted a "lapse in protocol" was possible.
The funeral of 22-year-old Cyane Panine was held in Sète, southern France, on Saturday. Her mother, Astrid Panine, insisted her daughter knew the layout well and "could have saved herself and others. But it was locked." The criminal investigation into one of Switzerland's deadliest fires in decades continues.
