Pressure is mounting for answers from the investigation into a New Year's Eve bar fire in a Swiss ski resort that killed 40 people after authorities said they had identified all the victims, most of whom were teenagers.
The Alpine resort of Crans Montana, in the canton of Valais, united in mourning on Sunday, as expressions of condolences poured in from world leaders, from Pope Leo to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The prosecutor's office said the fire, which spread rapidly in the early morning hours of January 1, was likely caused by sparking candles, which ignited the ceiling in the bar's basement.
Authorities are investigating two people who ran the bar on suspicion of committing crimes including manslaughter. Police said on Sunday that the circumstances do not warrant their arrest at this time and that they do not believe there is a flight risk.
The Swiss newspaper "Blik" wrote yesterday that anger over this case is growing.
"Why is the couple who run the bar at large?" the newspaper asked on its front page, above a photo of mourners and journalists gathered around a pile of flowers in front of the "Konstelasion" bar.
The youngest victims of the fire, which injured 116 people, were just 14 years old, and the victims came from all over Europe. Among them was dual Swiss-Serbian citizen Stefan Ivanovic (31), who lost his life while rescuing guests, Serbian media reported.
Swiss police, who did not release the identities of the victims, said yesterday that they had now identified all the injured, Reuters reported.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini wrote on social media that "in civilized Switzerland, the prison doors will have to be opened for a considerable number of people."
He said that measures were lacking to guarantee safety in the bar's basement, questioning emergency systems and whether there were enough inspections.
Italy repatriated the remains of five of its citizens who died in the fire yesterday. The sixth victim lived in Switzerland and will be buried there, the Italian government said.
Aika Šapa, a local woman who participated in a silent march through the city on Sunday, said that justice must be served for the sake of future generations.
"It is crucial that a tragedy like this never happens again. And the investigation must be thorough, because this is all so incredible," she said.
The Tages-Anzeiger, another leading Swiss daily, said answers must be obtained about age checks at the bar, the soundproofing material used in the basement, and the standards governing the use of so-called fountain candles.
One of the bar's two owners, Jacques Moretti, told Swiss media that "Constellation" had been inspected three times over the past ten years and that everything was done in accordance with the rules.
The authorities of the canton of Valais said that investigators were checking whether the bar had passed the facility's annual inspections, but that the municipality had not expressed concerns or reported any deficiencies to the canton.
Bonus video:
