This photograph shows police seals on a door of the Le Constellation in the Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana on January 28, 2026, following the deadly fire that ripped through the venue on New Year's Eve celebrations. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
Geneva: Prosecutors investigating the New Year inferno that killed 40 people in Swiss ski resort town Crans-Montana have opened a criminal investigation against a second local safety official, AFP learned Thursday.
The French couple who owned the establishment that went up in flames around early on January 1 were initially the only ones targeted by a criminal probe in the tragedy, which also left 116 people injured -- most of them teenagers.
But since Wednesday, the investigation has expanded to include two security officials in Crans-Montana, where local authorities sparked outrage earlier this month when they revealed that the required annual safety check of the Le Constellation had not been carried out since 2019.
Public prosecutors believe the fire started when revellers raised bottles with sparklers attached too close to sound insulation foam on the basement ceiling.
The municipality's current head of public safety is due to be questioned, as a defendant, by public prosecutors in the southwestern Swiss canton of Wallis on February 6, according to a source close to the case who did not wish to be named.
A former Crans-Montana fire safety officer is also due to be questioned, also as a defendant, on February 9, his lawyer, David Aioutz told AFP on Thursday, confirming reports.
The public prosecutor's office has refused to comment.
The owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who are facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, were due to be questioned again in the case on February 11 and 12 respectively, according to official documents seen by AFP.
Jacques Moretti was held in preventive custody for nearly two weeks, before being released on bail of 200,000 Swiss francs ($250,000) on January 23.
The investigations underway will aim to shed light on the exact circumstances of the fire, the owners' compliance with regulations and the potential criminal responsibility of local authorities.
The Wallis public prosecutor's office rejected in an order dated January 27 and seen by AFP a request by Crans-Montana to be recognised as a party to the criminal proceedings.
