Fire disaster Crans-Montana: Italy wants to act as civil plaintiff
Italy wants to appear as a civil plaintiff in the criminal proceedings in connection with the fire disaster in Crans-Montana VS. The reason given for the move is the "direct damage" caused to the Italian state.
29.04.2026, 18:02
29.04.2026, 19:46
SDA
According to a statement from the seat of government in Rome published by the Ansa news agency, the application for civil action was submitted by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers via the public prosecutor's office, which in turn commissioned a Swiss law firm. The President of the Council of Ministers is Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
By "direct damage", Italy is alluding to the "considerable" resources mobilized by the national civil protection service to provide medical, psychological and logistical support to the Italian nationals affected.
It also stated that the involvement of local authorities in the accident was considered highly probable. This justifies the decisive demand for compensation from all those responsible under civil law.
To date, the Valais public prosecutor's office has not received any such request, it informed the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday.
President Guy Parmelin will be received by his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella in Rome on Tuesday. The following day, the Vaud native will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Swiss Guard at the Vatican and meet Pope Leo XIV.
41 people died in the fire at the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve and 115 people were injured, some of them seriously. Six of the fatalities were Italian and around ten were injured.
