It’s a criminal investigation so I guess they can’t make any speculation about the scene of the fire. The last thing they want to do is prejudice the case with loose talk about material evidence?
From WRS …
Health insurers are bracing for enormous costs after the deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in Crans-Montana.
Switzerland’s accident insurer Suva says treating a single severe burn victim can cost up to one million francs in the first year alone, with long-term care often required for life.
With 83 people still hospitalised, total costs could exceed CHF 130m.
In addition, parents of seriously injured children under 18 are allowed to take work leave with income shortfall being covered by insurance.
Suva says it will seek reimbursement once criminal liability has been established.
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I’d say the 130m is just a poorly thought out guesstimate.
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This is what I was alluding to. The council will get heavily criticised, and then likely civil litigation, but criminal responsibility is highly unlikely. Think MFK (roadworthyness) on a car…due after 5 years but often not checked before they are 8 or 9 years due to backlog. The owner is still responsible for driving a roadworthy car.
But, there’s a puzzle. It seems that the federal regulations say construction materials must meet a fire resistance standard, while the municipal councilor says cantonal law says municipal fire inspectors are not mandated to check the compliance with federal regulations.
Does this make any sense? Is there a tragic hole between cantonal and federal laws? Or do the municipal authorities just revealed that they don’t care much about federal regulations?
Authorities are careful to avoid obligation that would make them even partly liable. The government always protects itself first.
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I guess the president of the CM municipal council should talk to a lawyer and not to the media.
The cantonal responsible of security ( Stéphane Ganzer) was interviewed yesterday by RTS and declared that the checklist of fire safety assessments does contain a check about flammable construction materials.
“Obviously, the control of materials, especially a foam such as this, is part of the basis of a control which is carried out in an establishment,” says Valais State Councillor in charge of security, institutions and sport Stéphane Ganzer on the program Forum.
So, municipal authorities declare that they’re not mandated by law to check for flammable construction materials, while cantonal authorities declare the check for flammable construction materials is part of the fire safety checks.
If cantonal guy is right, the press conference by municipal authorities from yesterday was an admission of negligence right at the start of the investigation.
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Interesting zoom-in photo from 20min. Two things I noticed:
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The generation of melting droplets from the sound-proofing (red ring). This is something material is tested on…these would have been scaldng.
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Note the directions of the flames - it appears they were directly fed fresh air from the ventilation. This is one of the important features of intergrated fire alarms: they shut of ventilation, open escape doors etc.
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Funny thing that the guy apparently paid all the properties in cash:
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No way, that only happens in barber shops with secret prayer rooms /s
Italian media (not bounded by Swiss laws) goes a bit further:
The Business Model
The “two Corsicans,” thanks to the banks, purchased both Le Vieux Chalet and a nearby villa with a view of the Matterhorn: the estimated value of the transaction was over 5 million francs. In 2015, they were ready for their debut in Crans-Montana: they rented both the decrepit Le Constellation bar, with billiards and darts in the basement, and the brasserie Le Petite Maison, now transformed into the more seductive Senso, which until New Year’s Eve served “gourmet hamburgers with truffles and foie gras.” The “Moretti system” was now well-tested: they entered the rental market by offering double the price of their competitors, financed modifications and renovations to increase their clientele and pay rents of 40,000 euros a month, saved on security and staff, and finally, they bought because the rent cost more than the mortgage.
Le Constellation also became theirs two years ago: the latest owner, Julien Beytrison, sold it for over 1.5 million. “This figure is out of line,” says Arthur Praz of the Casalp agency, “considering the expansions underway and the only 200 clients officially accommodated.”
Funny things appear: 1.5 million in cash and doing the manual work. The cantonal prosecutor has a new question: who is the Ultimate Beneficial Owner of the assets?
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I do believe that with what we currently know, it might be a good idea for the federal government to appoint some sort of special prosecutor and relief local and regional authorities of their duties in this case. Because they are obviously in over their heads with this.
I have little doubt that the foreign heads of state that will attend the „National Day of Mourning“ this Friday will express similar thoughts.
Lukas Hässig, the Inside Paradeplatz guy, is having a field day with this one.
There’s an early estimate of 130m for the costs of the treatments of those affected by this tragedy (SUVA has to cough up for it apparently) - but I can see this number triple or quadruple, all things together.
While the deceased don’t need medical care, their families are probably unable to work for considerable time - and they will need psychological help maybe for the rest of their lives.
Similar to a lot of first responders.
And the medical care for those who did survive will run into astronomical costs. You’re basically talking about engaging a large percentage of the intensive care capability of the whole of Switzerland for a couple of weeks.
This one will be the gift that keeps on giving.
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As well as being in over their heads which seems to be clearly the case, there is also the fact that local/regional authorities were involved to some extent in terms of authorisations/inspections etc
Yeah. The international reputation damage is devastating.
I don’t know how long the Bundesrat is going to try to wait it out.
My guess is it will be a busy weekend.
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I think it is both a disaster and a scandal in equal measure with a full international spotlight shining on it
I come from a violent place and the following is distilled trauma and paranoia.
The suspects might have made a huge mistake and already see themselves as walking corpses. No point in running away. Just enjoy the last days around here. Media portraying them as evil criminals might not be the whole story. If the truth is ever going to be found, it might be necessary to protect them.
Smoke Inhalation? Oxygen depletion?
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Even still, I find it very strange that the family’s request for an autopsy was refused by the authorities - that’s the very least they deserve
It seems bluewin chopped the story. Italian media tells this important detail and now everything makes sense:
Why - the question of Father Edward and Mother Beatrice - was first communicated that the son was unrecognizable and for this reason necessary to undergo the examination of the DNA, except then, two days later, to the return of the body, to discover that it was perfectly intact, without any wound or sign of burn? Why not consult the documents directly, found intact in the pocket together with the mobile phone?
It should be extremely distressing to be told that victims burned to the point of being unrecognizable and be asked for DNA samples. Then, the body arrives and find out that there are no skin burn injuries and that an ID was found in his wallet in one of his pockets.
It was a major catastrophe and the boy is still dead. Anyway, the DNA IDying feels like unnecessary distress to the family. Quite probably the rescue and forensic workers where overwhelmed. It was a mistake, but at least they did not tell “the boy is alive” and correct a couple days “we’re sorry, he’s dead”.
It’s the right moment to say sorry. No one will blame the rescue, medical or forensic team for minor mistakes. They faced the horror and did their best.
Rather than help get people out:
I know it’s all speculation at this point but it doesn’t really stack up that she would run back for the cash takings. It was a bar full of mostly under 30s (under 25s?) and she saved the cash? How many under 30s pay for drinks with cash these days?
EDIT - had a think about it. Yes, perhaps it was the full day’s takings so from lunches and pop-ins through the day. Shameful if true.
People like her know no shame.
I also read just now that they wiped all their Facebook and Instagram stuff from social media during the fire thus removing potentially important evidence.
I don’t know how true that is either but it would be a pretty low thing to do if true.