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Mourning in Crans-Montana: sea of flowers and candles for the victims of the New Year's Eve fire
Alessandro Della Valle/KEYSTONE/dpa
Following the devastating fire in Crans-Montana that claimed 40 lives, President Guy Parmelin has declared a national day of mourning on Friday. The memorial service will take place in Martigny VS - with guests from all over Europe.
President Guy Parmelin has declared a national day of mourning on Friday in memory of the victims of the Crans-Montana fire.
The bereaved families have been invited. They come from Switzerland and six other countries: France, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Romania and Belgium.
The devastating fire in the bar claimed the lives of 40 people - almost half of them minors. Among the victims are 22 Swiss nationals. A further eight were from France, six from Italy and one person each from Turkey, Portugal and Belgium.
A FDFA spokesperson confirmed to the Tages-Anzeiger that the heads of government of these countries have also been contacted. French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced his intention to attend, a spokesperson for the French government said on Monday. Macron will be accompanied by Benhamin Haddad, the Secretary of State responsible for Europe. Italian President Sergio Matterella will also be traveling to Crans Montana.
The event was actually supposed to take place in a church in Crans-Montana. However, the memorial service will now take place in Martigny VS. The reason for this: snowfall expected for the weekend and safety concerns.
Preparations for the ceremony to mark the national day of mourning are underway, as the State of Valais announced in a press release on Tuesday. The official part will begin at 1.45 pm at the Exhibition and Assembly Center (CERM) in Martigny.
For the inhabitants of Crans-Montana, a broadcast of the ceremony will be offered by appointment at the Le Régent congress center. The aim is to "share a moment of reflection and solidarity on this day of national mourning", the press release continues. At 2 p.m., all church bells throughout Switzerland will ring for five minutes.
