Swiss grieve as all fire victims identified -- half of them under 18

All 40 people who perished in a young Year's go off at a swiss people ski resort hotel exclude were identified Sunday, with half of them under the age of 18.

A heavy pall of grief hung over Crans-Montana as more than a thousand mourners walked in silence through the resort to remember those killed and injured in the tragic blaze at the Le Constellation bar.

After days of agonising uncertainty for loved ones, local police on Sunday finished identifying the fire's 40 fatalities. Their ages ranged from 39 to two who were aged just 14.

Police said the victims included 21 Swiss nationals, nine French nationals including one Franco-Swiss and one triple national of France, Israel and Britain, six Italians including one Italian-Emirati, one Belgian woman, one Portuguese woman, one Romanian man and one Turkish man.

The bar's owners are under criminal investigation.

A mass dedicated to the victims was held at a small chapel some 300 metres down the road from the gutted bar, outside which well-wishers have left an abundance of flowers, candles and messages of sympathy.

Jean-Marie Lovey, the Bishop of Sion in southwest Switzerland, told the packed chapel it was "unbearable for so many families to remain in the darkness of suffering and death", his voice breaking.

"Many of the victims were apprentices, high school students, and university students," said Pastor Gilles Cavin, representing the Protestant Reformed Church of Switzerland.

"In the face of the unspeakable, in the face of the brutality of death and suffering, we refuse to look away. We are here to express our compassion, our solidarity."

In the square outside, several hundred people stood in temperatures as low as -9C, following the service on a giant screen.

- Applause for drained rescuers -

After the mass, sympathisers slowly and silently walked together towards Le Constellation and the makeshift memorial outside.

A wave of applause suddenly broke out from the back of the crowd, which parted as rescuers and emergency service workers walked through, many of whom were visibly overcome with the spontaneous outpouring of gratitude.

Gina, from a neighbouring village, told AFP she attended out of solidarity and joined in the applause.

"Their task must have been dreadful. They were devastated. Now, they're scarred for life; that's clear," she said.

By the flowers and candles, the crowd joined in singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

"When we were listening to the singing it just brings a wave of emotion," Beverley, 58, a British national who lives near Lausanne told AFP.

"It must be so, so difficult for the families who are still waiting. It must be very painful for them."

A church minister had to walk away, having broken down in tears.

"It's too hard. Too much suffering," he said, his voice fading.

- Fire spread rapidly -

Regarding the likely cause of the fire, authorities have pointed the finger at sparklers attached to champagne bottles igniting soundproofing foam on the ceiling.

"Initial witness statements describe a fire that spread rapidly, generating a large amount of smoke and intense heat," the Wallis cantonal public prosecutor's office said in a statement Sunday.

French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti owned and managed Le Constellation, which was crammed with young partygoers when the blaze began in a packed basement at around 1:30 am on Thursday.

A criminal investigation has been opened against the pair. They are charged with manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

Wallis prosecutors said the investigation was continuing "in order to determine any other potential criminal liability and the exact circumstances of this fire".

Video footage which has emerged from the tragedy shows young people desperately trying to flee the scene, some breaking windows to try to force their way out.

Switzerland has declared a national day of mourning for January 9, with all church bells poised to toll at 2:00 pm. A moment of silence is also planned.

During his address at St Peter's Square in Rome, Pope Leo XIV voiced his "closeness to those who are grieving" the disaster.

"I assure you of my prayers for the young people who died, for the injured, and for their families," he said.

rjm-burs/cc/st

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