Fire disaster Hundreds mourn fire victims in Lutry and demand justice
Several hundred people gathered in Lutry on Saturday afternoon to commemorate the victims of Crans-Montana. It was the second funeral service in the hard-hit Vaud municipality.
31.01.2026, 16:36
31.01.2026, 19:52
SDA
Before the funeral march began, relatives of the deceased gathered behind a large white banner with the inscription "Hommage aux victimes de Crans-Montana. Justice et vérité" ("Tribute to the victims of Crans-Montana. Justice and truth") in black letters.
In front of dozens of Swiss and international media, parents of the deceased took the floor one by one. "We are not standing in front of you to step into the spotlight. Light must fall on justice and truth," said a mother who had lost her son.
"Today I am the mother of 156 children," said another parent in Italian, alluding to the number of victims of the tragedy. The message: "Never again". 40 people died in the fire on New Year's Eve and 116 others were injured, most of them seriously.
Around 1000 mourners
From shortly after 2.45 p.m., the mourners marched through the streets of Lutry, as a journalist reported to the Keystone-SDA news agency. Many people joined the funeral march. In the end, an estimated one thousand people took part.
They were led by the organizer of the event, who is close to the victims. She held a sign with the words "You are not alone" in her hands. Numerous people carried roses.
Several victims of the fire disaster on New Year's Eve lived in Lutry. The local football club was particularly affected, as numerous juniors were in the "Le Constellation" bar at the time of the fire. Seven members of the club lost their lives.
Silent march also in Ticino
A silent march for Crans-Montana also took place in Lugano on Saturday. However, the event attracted little attention due to the late hour and the numerous carnival celebrations taking place throughout Ticino at the same time. Around 50 people marched silently from the lakeshore towards the town center, where a memorial service was held.
Two private individuals organized the march to commemorate the victims and express solidarity with their families. An 18-year-old Italo-Ticino woman from Coldrerio in the south of the canton died in the fire.
