Swiss Prosecutors Expand Investigation into Deadly Bar Fire Incident

Investigation Overview

By Emma Farge

Details of the Fire Incident

GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Swiss prosecutors have summoned a current and a former local official for questioning next month in a probe into a New Year bar fire that killed 40 people, and say the town's leaders could be liable for safety failures, documents showed on Thursday.

Involvement of Local Authorities

Prosecutors' inquiries initially focused on the French owners of "Le Constellation" bar, who are under investigation for crimes including suspected negligent homicide.

Legal Proceedings and Responses

Most of those killed in the blaze in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana were teenagers and some of the 116 people injured are still in hospital with severe burns. 

Lawyers for the victims have sought an expansion of the probe to include local officials. Crans-Montana's mayor said the municipality had missed multiple annual safety checks.

Officials for the municipality did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It previously expressed regret over the tragedy and dropped its request to be a plaintiff in the case. That would have given the municipality the same status as the victims, access to case documents and, in theory, could have made it entitled to compensation.

The prosecutor's office for Valais declined comment.

The fire was one of the worst disasters in modern Swiss history and has tested relations with neighbouring Italy, which lost six of its nationals in the blaze. The tragedy has also sent chills through the lucrative tourism sector.

In their documents, prosecutors described the two new individuals called for hearings next month as "defendants" in the case, documents showed, and said past and present officials could be responsible for safety failings.

The head of security for Crans-Montana has been called for a hearing on February 6. The defendant's lawyer Nicolas Rivard said his client would reserve statements for prosecutors.

Prosecutors also called a former head of fire safety for the municipality on February 9, another document showed. Reuters could not immediately establish when the individual left the municipality or why.

"(They) will be present on the ninth in the state prosecutor's office," the individual's lawyer David Aioutz said.

Separately, Valais prosecutors sent a document on January 27 that formally rejected the town's request to be a plaintiff.

"There are...reasons to believe that the municipality failed in its duty to enforce the various regulations it was responsible for, intended to safeguard the lives and physical integrity of the bar's customers," it said.

"Failings could be attributable both to staff members and to members of the town council, past and present," it said.

Further hearings are also planned next month with bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who are not in custody. The couple has expressed grief over the tragedy and vowed to cooperate.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Jon Boyle)