The owners and managers of the bar where 40 people were killed and 119 were injured in a catastrophic New Year's Eve blaze have been placed under investigation, according to Swiss prosecutors.
Jacques and Jessica Moretti are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, according to prosecutors.
The fire at the couple’s bar, Le Constellation, in Crans-Montana was likely to have been caused by sparklers on bottles being carried close to the ceiling, a preliminary investigation found.
Lead prosecutor in the canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, said investigators were looking into whether the venue's acoustic foam was “the cause of the problem” as well as "whether it complies with regulations" .
Among the dead were teenagers as young as 16 as Le Constellation was a venue known to be a popular venue in the ski resort town where the drinking age is 16.
Friends of an Australian teenager were also among those killed in the fire.
Due to the severity of the burns, the identification process of the victims has been slow, with some people still reported missing.
