LONDON

Swiss resort bar, where 40 people were killed in a deadly New Year's fire, had not undergone an annual inspection for the last five years despite regulations, the mayor of Crans-Montana said Tuesday.

Le Constellation bar had not had any safety checks, investigations, or auditing for five years before the fire that killed 40 people and injured 116, Nicolas Feraud said during a news conference in Crans-Montana.

Speaking to reporters, Feraud announced that all sparkler candles, which were blamed for the fire, have been banned inside venues.

On Friday, investigators said that they believe sparkling candles attached to champagne bottles ignited a fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of the bar.

"Periodic inspections were not conducted between 2020 and 2025," the mayor said, adding that they "bitterly regret" this.

He also noted that the council was not responsible for determining who was responsible for the blaze.

"That will be the job of the investigators," said Feraud, but added that his municipality wanted to show full transparency as they "owe it to the victims and their families."

The mayor underlined that he and his councilors would not resign because they were elected by the people of Crans-Montana and would not "jump ship now."

"We’re profoundly sorry, and I know how hard that will be for the families," he added.

Feraud also said that it is down to the managers of the ski bar to know whether they are within the regulations.

It came after Valais police said Saturday that they launched a criminal investigation into the deadly incident, as the New Year’s blaze sparked scrutiny over underage entry, blocked exits, and inspection failures.

The suspects are accused of "negligent homicide, negligent personal injury, and negligent arson,” police added, stressing that "the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is pronounced."

Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said Friday that early investigative findings suggest that sparkling candles on champagne bottles ignited the fire as they were held too close to the ceiling.

On Sunday, Valais cantonal police said that following the incident, the final 16 victims had been identified. Their age ranged from 15 to 33, with nationalities including Swiss, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Belgian, along with double and triple nationalities.

* Beyza Binnur Donmez contributed to this story.