Young survivors of a devastating New Year's fire in a Swiss ski resort have delivered heart-wrenching speeches at an official memorial service, moving attendees including French President Emmanuel Macron to tears.
A National Day of Mourning
The emotional ceremony took place at the "Le Régent" convention centre in Martigny, Switzerland, nine days after the tragedy. It formed part of a national day of mourning for the 40 people who lost their lives, a figure which included 20 children. A further 116 individuals were injured in the blaze at the Le Constellation bar in the popular resort of Crans-Montana.
Around 1,000 people gathered to pay their respects, including families of the deceased, emergency service workers, and dignitaries. Three young survivors—Marie Albrecht, Aline Morisoli, and Solal Heimendinger—addressed the solemn crowd.
Marie Albrecht described the evening that turned into a nightmare. "We went to the bar that evening for one last drink," she said. "Outside, it was worse than a nightmare. Piercing screams echoed in the icy cold. The smell of burning was unbearable."
Emotional Tributes and Calls to Action
Aline Morisoli spoke of her generation's resilience in a fragile world. "We are a generation growing up in a difficult, often unfair, fragile world. And yet we move forward," she stated. "We fight for what we believe in... Don't stop fighting." She urged everyone to live fully, adding, "We can't add days to life, but we can add more life to days."
Fellow survivor Solal Heimendinger expressed gratitude to the emergency services, prompting an emotional minute's applause for the approximately 40 firefighters and rescue workers present. Hundreds more braved snowy conditions in Crans-Montana's Place du Scandia to watch a live broadcast of the service. A nationwide minute's silence was observed, and church bells rang out for five minutes across Switzerland.
Investigation and Official Responses
President of the Valais State Council, Mathias Reynard, gave an emotional address, apologising to the victims and promising a full investigation. "Dear families, dear relatives, a moment of friendship and celebration turned into a nightmare," he said. Federal President Guy Parmelin told mourners that a year of promise had been ruined by "a night of ashes," stating that Switzerland had become "a family in mourning."
The memorial was held just hours after the bar's owner, Jacques Moretti, was placed in pre-trial detention. His wife, Jessica Moretti, 40, was questioned and released. The couple face preliminary charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.
Outside the prosecutor's office, Jessica Moretti said, "My constant thoughts are with the victims... It is an unimaginable tragedy. Never, ever could we have imagined this."
Prosecutors believe the fire started in the basement when champagne bottles with party sparklers were raised too close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling. Experts suggest the highly flammable foam may have caused a deadly "flashover." The investigation is also examining why no fire safety inspections had been conducted at the bar since 2019.
The tragedy has had a profound impact on specific communities. It has emerged that seven of the dead were from the same football club in Lutry, a town on Lake Geneva. FC Lutry's president described a "decimated" generation. Victims hailed from 19 different nationalities, with 83 people still in hospital following the incident.
