Mayor says Swiss ski bar wasn’t inspected five years before fatal fire

The Swiss bar where a fire broke out, killing 40 people and injuring 116 others, had not had a safety inspection in five years, authorities said.

Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud said at a press conference on Tuesday that he could not explain why La Constellation bar had been unoccupied for so long but that the city council was “deeply sorry” for it.

“We regret this – we owe it to these families and we will take responsibility,” he said.

He added that fireworks, which are believed to have started the fire, will be banned from local venues. The local authority will now hire external contractors to inspect and audit all 128 venues in the area.

Feraud acknowledged that a team of five inspected more than 10,000 buildings and explained that in 2016, four village councils merged into a larger body: Crans-Montana.

Asked why the bar had not been occupied for so long, Feraud said: “I can’t answer you today.”

“We are deeply sorry for this and I know how difficult this will be for these families.”

“I’m not resigning, no, I don’t want to,” he later added.

“Whether we will be involved in the case will be decided by a judge,” he said, referring to a criminal investigation that Swiss prosecutors have launched.