40 victims of fire in Swiss bar identified: the dead are citizens of four countries

Investigators have identified all 40 people who died in a fire on New Year's Eve at a Swiss ski resort. This was reported by the agency Bloomberg with reference to law enforcement.

Local police reported that all the victims had been identified. Law enforcement officials refused to publish the names of the victims to protect the families of the victims.

Among them are citizens of Switzerland, France, Italy and Portugal, the youngest of whom is a 14-year-old French boy, according to investigators in the canton of Valais.

The fire, allegedly caused by sparklers igniting soundproofing material in the basement of the club, injured 119 people. Many of them were taken to specialized burn units in neighboring countries, as Swiss hospitals are working to their limits.

On Friday, the Valais cantonal prosecutor's office announced the launch of a criminal investigation against the two owners of the Le Constellation bar. Possible charges include manslaughter.

According to the chief prosecutor of the canton, Beatrice Pilloux, the investigation will examine all aspects of the tragedy, including the number of people allowed into the bar, the available emergency exits and the materials used during the renovation of the building.

The bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana is owned by a French couple. The woman was in the bar and suffered burns to her hand but survived, while the man was elsewhere, French television company BFMTV reported.

• On New Year's Eve at the ski resort An explosion occurred in a bar in Cran-Montana. Police reported dozens of victims. According to the prosecutor's office, the explosion was caused by a fire.
• On January 2, investigators began identification process of those killed in a fire in a bar at a ski resort in Switzerland.
• Across the country, they announced five days of mourning for the victims of the fire at the Swiss ski resort.