Crans-Montana fire: ex-safety officer questioned by Valais prosecutors

A former municipal safety inspection officer of Crans-Montana was questioned by Valais prosecutors on Monday in connection with a fatal bar fire on New Year's Eve. Criminal proceedings have been opened against him. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The man was in charge of safety and fire checks in January 2018 and June 2019 in the Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort. His recommendations were reportedly twice ignored by the manager and owner. The inspections were not followed by any sanctions from the municipality either. In addition, the resident from canton Valais must explain why the bar had not been inspected since mid-2019. He left his post at the beginning of 2024. "There are a lot of questions, to which we hope the person heard today will provide some answers," said Yaël Hayat, the lawyer of one of the owners, just before the hearing. "As things stand, there are a lot of things we need to know. My client doesn't understand why all this ...