Swiss prosecutors investigate five more officials over deadly New Year bar fire, bringing total to nine under suspicion for the tragedy that killed 41.

GENEVA: Swiss prosecutors have widened their criminal investigation into a deadly New Year’s bar fire to include five current and former local officials.

This brings the total number of people under formal suspicion to nine.

The public prosecutor’s office in Wallis canton confirmed the new investigations but declined to provide further details.

A source close to the case confirmed to AFP that Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Feraud is among those now under suspicion.

Also under investigation are a former municipal councillor for security, a former fire safety officer and his deputy, and a current public safety team member.

The fire at Le Constellation bar in the early hours of January 1 killed 41 people, mostly teenagers, and injured 115 others.

The bar’s owners, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, face charges including manslaughter by negligence.

Prosecutors believe the blaze started when champagne bottles with sparklers ignited sound insulation foam.

The municipality revealed in January that no annual safety check had been carried out at the bar since 2019.

The five newly implicated officials and Jacques Moretti are scheduled for questioning between April 7 and 15.

At the end of February, 58 survivors remained hospitalised in Switzerland and abroad.

 The Sun Malaysia