Crans-Montana fire bar had safety issues for years

Swiss safety inspectors had for years harboured concerns about the Crans-Montana bar that was the scene of a fatal fire on New Year's Eve. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The authorities had been aware of health and safety issues at the Contellation bar since 2018, reports Swiss public broadcaster RTS. The bar was inspected three times in 2016, 2018 and 2019, according to documents also seen by Keystone-SDA. The 2016 inspection, by the then municipality of Chermignon, only looked at the bar's veranda. + Crans-Montana tragedy highlights weaknesses of Swiss federal system In January 2018, the safety officer of the municipality of Crans-Montana asked the manager Jacques Moretti to limit the number of visitors to his restaurant to 100 people per floor. The officer also gave him three months to indicate where the fire extinguishers were located. Evacuation plans and appropriate staff training were also lacking at the time. Sound insulation foam During the ...