The owners of a Swiss nightclub where a devastating fire killed at least 47 people and injured 115 others on New Year's Day have significant links to the United Kingdom, it has been revealed. Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica, powerful figures in Switzerland's hospitality sector, are facing intense scrutiny as the investigation into the tragedy at their Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana continues.
UK Educational Ties and Swiss Success
Jessica Moretti, 40, once studied at the University of Glamorgan in south Wales, according to her Facebook profile. She has also completed programmes at the International University of Monaco and Montpelier Business School in her native France. The couple, who are from Corsica and reportedly have a son, first visited the upmarket, French-speaking ski resort of Crans-Montana in 2011 as tourists.
Impressed by the area, they later opened Le Constellation in December 2015. The bar was marketed as an "elegant space" with a "festive atmosphere" and was notably one of the few venues in the resort that admitted revellers aged 16 and over, rather than enforcing an 18-plus policy. The business was housed in a previously abandoned building.
A Night of Celebration Turns to Tragedy
The inferno erupted in the early hours of New Year's Day while the venue was packed with young celebrants. Witness accounts and emerging footage suggest the blaze may have been ignited by sparklers placed in champagne bottles, which set fire to decorative material on the ceiling. One witness told BFM TV that a waiter holding a birthday candle close to the ceiling caused it to catch fire "in a couple of minutes."
Police commander Frédéric Gisler confirmed the fire "started in the basement of the bar." A desperate crush ensued as patrons tried to escape via a single, narrow staircase. Jessica Moretti was allegedly inside the club when the fire took hold and suffered burns to her arm, while her husband was working at one of their other establishments. Sources describe the couple as being "completely in shock."
Aftermath and Ongoing Investigation
In the wake of the disaster, desperate parents have been scouring the resort for missing teenagers. Eighteen-year-old Rayan Guiren stated, "Many parents have been searching for their children." Prior to the fire, the Morettis had developed a reputation as a hardworking and successful team, having launched other restaurants in Switzerland. They were once praised in local media as enthusiastic and "brimming with energy."
However, they now face serious questions about how the fire spread so rapidly and the safety provisions at the venue. Officials have cautioned that the complex investigation to determine the exact cause will take time. The tragedy has cast a dark shadow over the renowned ski resort, with the community and international observers awaiting answers.
