Crans‑Montana Nightclub Fire Survivor Says Emergency Exit Was Blocked

Six months after the New Year’s night in 2024 when a blaze at the Constellation nightclub in Crans‑Montana killed more than 40 people and injured over a hundred, survivor Sofia, a 16‑year‑old Italian, told journalists that the emergency door had been chained shut. She described a steel bicycle‑type chain locked to the handle, preventing escape as smoke filled the venue.

Swiss prosecutors are investigating the incident, focusing on the owners, the Moretti couple, and local officials who approved the venue’s renovations. Auditions of the former municipal safety officer and a former mayor are scheduled for mid‑July. The testimony aligns with video evidence showing staff intentionally bracing the door, and statements from the club’s bouncer that the exit remained closed on the owner’s instructions to control entry and payment.

The inquiry continues to examine how the emergency exit, which fire officials had demanded be designated as a proper egress, was kept locked, contributing to the high casualty count.