Geneva, February 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: A total of 58 people remain hospitalized nearly eight weeks after a devastating fire tore through a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing 41 people and injuring 115 others, Switzerland’s Keystone-ATS news agency reported Tuesday.
According to the National Network for Disaster Medicine, as of Monday, 21 injured individuals were still receiving treatment in Swiss hospitals. Of these, 12 were hospitalized in Lausanne and eight in Zurich, with two patients remaining in intensive care.
Nine additional victims are undergoing treatment in rehabilitation clinics, including eight in Sion, the capital of the southwestern Wallis (Valais) region where Crans-Montana is located.
A further 28 patients continue to receive medical care abroad — 14 in France, eight in Italy, four in Germany, and two in Belgium. Among them are 11 Swiss nationals.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of January 1 at Le Constellation, an upscale bar in Crans-Montana. Most of those killed were teenagers, including 20 minors.
Prosecutors believe the fire started when champagne bottles fitted with sparklers were raised too close to the ceiling in the bar’s basement, igniting sound insulation foam.
While those with minor injuries were discharged shortly after the blaze, 83 people were still hospitalized as of January 5.
The bar’s owners, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are under criminal investigation and face charges including manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.
Two additional individuals — Crans-Montana’s current head of public safety and a former municipal fire safety officer — are also under investigation.
In response to the tragedy and the widespread public solidarity that followed, former Swiss president Doris Leuthard will lead the newly established Beloved Foundation, the Wallis cantonal government announced Tuesday.
The foundation aims to provide financial support to the families of the deceased, the injured and their close relatives, as well as firefighters and first responders who handled the disaster. It will also contribute to memorial projects.
The canton of Wallis has pledged an initial one million Swiss francs (approximately $1.3 million) as part of a planned 10 million-franc donation. In total, around 17 million francs have been pledged to the foundation.
