Likely cause of Swiss resort fire identified - as teen educated in UK named among missing
Sparklers on champagne bottles have been identified by officials as the likely cause of a deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort, as pictures of teenagers still unaccounted for began to emerge.
Sparklers on champagne bottles have been identified by officials as the likely cause of a deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort, as pictures of teenagers still unaccounted for began to emerge.
At least 40 were killed and a further 119 were injured in the blaze that swept through the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year's Day.
Read more: Everything we know about ski resort fire
A former Hertfordshire schoolgirl is among the teenagers still missing.
The severity of burns is making it harder to identify the dead and injured. Experts are relying on DNA samples for some cases, in a process that could take weeks.
Scrutiny turns to safety set-up and fire's cause
On Friday officials tentatively confirmed a theory circulating online about the cause of the fire.
"It would appear that the fire started from sparkler candles, otherwise known as flares, which were placed on top of champagne bottles," Valais attorney general Beatrice Pilloud told a news conference.
Images shared on social media showed a group of people with sparklers affixed to bottles that appear to be setting fire to the ceiling, and a woman on a man's shoulders holding up champagne bottles with sparklers in them.
Image: The fire may have started because of sparklers held close to foam on the ceiling
But Ms Pilloud said it was too soon to say whether a foam-like material on the ceiling, possibly sound-proofing, had contributed to the spread of the fire.
A retired fire firefighter told Sky News the same type of material used to clad Grenfell Tower was likely coating the ceiling of the basement bar.
Having reviewed images and videos circulating online, Steve Dudney said he believed the foam that ignited was highly flammable polyurethane, which should be "nowhere where there are uncontrolled naked flames".
Why ski bar fire may have spread so quickly
Ms Pilloud said the bar's owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a French couple, were interviewed as "people called to give information", not under caution.
There are many outstanding questions about the nature of exits and about safety protocols in the bar. It had more than one emergency exit, but it wasn't found by victims.
Likely cause of Swiss bar fire revealed
