Crans-Montana, Switzerland – The emotional toll of the New Year’s Day fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana continues to reverberate through the community and the families of the 41 people who died, and the more than 115 injured. In recent days, harrowing details have emerged about the experiences of survivors and the grief of those who lost loved ones, as families confront the unimaginable.
On Tuesday evening, Leila Micheloud, the mother of two daughters severely injured in the blaze, spoke publicly about their ordeal. Her daughters, Farah, 20, and Meissa, 18, both remain hospitalized. Farah is being treated in Morges and required skin grafts after suffering burns to 35% of her body, particularly on her right arm, back, right thigh, and right buttocks. Meissa was initially treated in St. Gallen before being transferred to Sion.
“She is conscious the whole time,” Micheloud said of Meissa, describing the terrifying scene her daughter witnessed. “She saw people dying and lying on the floor. She herself was lying on the floor, and above her were people who had died. She managed to free herself as if by a miracle.”
Micheloud described the daily struggle of coping with the aftermath. “For a young girl, this is hard,” she said. “Every day is a fight.” She added that life after the catastrophe is not possible, only survival.
Despite the immense pain, Micheloud finds small ways to cope, maintaining a connection to the life her daughters once knew. “I clean their rooms, because I want them to come home one day,” she explained.
The grief is equally profound for those who lost family members. Laetitia Brodard-Sitre lost her 16-year-old son, Arthur, in the fire. She received confirmation of his death two days after the tragedy, following a memorial service in Lutry. She has since founded a support organization for other affected families, named “Arthur et nous” (Arthur and us), aiming to help both parents and young people navigate their loss.
Brodard-Sitre emphasized the importance of media coverage in uncovering the truth. “We must work with the media. If the media didn’t exist, the investigation wouldn’t be as far along as It’s. The mistakes,” she said, “must be revealed.”
The tragedy unfolded at Le Constellation, a bar popular with young people celebrating the New Year in the upscale Alpine ski resort. Police have identified 24 of those killed, including 11 minors and six foreign nationals. A makeshift memorial near the bar continues to grow with flowers, candles, and messages of remembrance.
Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the owners of Le Constellation, are currently under criminal investigation for involuntary manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson through negligence. They were questioned by lawyers representing the victims’ families on Wednesday, February 11th, in Sion. Micheloud reportedly had a private encounter with the Morettis during the hearing, described by a lawyer for the victims’ families as “an extremely intense moment and rare in its humanity,” though the content of their conversation was not disclosed.
The investigation continues as the community of Crans-Montana grapples with the scale of the loss and seeks answers in the wake of this devastating event.