Crans-Montana fire victims face 15‑year compensation process

A New Year’s Eve fire at the Le Constellation venue in Crans‑Montana killed 41 people and injured 115, including six Italian teenagers. The mayor, Nicolas Feraud, warned that civil compensation for the victims’ families could take up to fifteen years, with the canton pledging an initial 50,000 CHF (about 54,000 EUR) per victim, to be later reimbursed by federal authorities.

The owners of the venue, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, have applied to reopen two of their other establishments through a third‑party lease, a move intended to preserve seized assets for future compensation payouts. The proposal has drawn strong opposition, gathering more than 27,000 signatures on a Change.org petition. An investigation continues, with fourteen individuals—including the Morettis and several municipal officials—named as suspects in the criminal probe of the fire.