THE majority of the victims killed in the New Year fire at a Swiss bar burned to death after becoming trapped on a narrow staircase that had been reduced in size by the owners.
Horrific new details of the basement inferno were released as one of the bar owners – 49-year-old Jacques Moretti – prepared to appear in court.
The revelations paint a devastating picture of panic and chaos during the early hours of January 1.
Moretti is currently in custody and faces a range of charges including manslaughter by negligence.
His wife and co-owner, 40-year-old Jessica Moretti, is also under investigation.
Investigators have now established that 34 of the 40 victims died on the single staircase leading up from the basement, where the fire is believed to have started.
FIRE FURY
Swiss bar owners say waitress who was ‘like family’ was trapped inside mid fire
Among the dead was 24-year-old Cyane Panine, a waitress at the bar who was “like family” to Moretti and his wife.
To make matters worse, Panine had spent Christmas with the couple just days before the tragedy.
The blaze was allegedly triggered by sparklers placed in champagne bottles, which ignited soundproofing foam fixed to the ceiling.
Within moments, thick smoke and flames consumed the confined space, turning the basement into a death trap.
“This amounts to 85 per cent of the dead,” said one enquiry source.
“They were trapped on the tiny staircase as everyone fought to get out, but they were unable to escape.”
As the panic intensified, the stairwell became dangerously overcrowded.
Some people were forced backwards into the basement as others pushed forward in desperation.
The structure, already compromised by its reduced size, began to fail.
“It fell apart,” the source added.
“The staircase had been significantly narrowed by the owners.”
Swiss law enforcement officers later found numerous bodies piled at the bottom of the stairwell after the wooden steps and handrails collapsed.
The staircase came away from the wall and plunged into the basement below, taking people with it.
Jacques Moretti has admitted reducing the width of the stairwell from three metres to just one metre.
He carried out the renovations himself after taking over management of Le Constellation in 2015.
It remains unclear whether any planning permission was sought or granted.
According to multiple sources who have spoken to media, this alteration “played a decisive role in the disaster.”
When questioned by prosecutors on Friday, Moretti did not address the changes to the stairwell.
However, he acknowledged a ground-floor service door was locked from the inside when the fire broke out.
He said he forced the door open upon arriving at the scene and discovered victims behind it who were dying from suffocation.
Moretti claimed he did not know why the door had been locked and, along with his wife, has denied any wrongdoing.
If the police discover the pair knowingly kept the door locked and knew the risks, they could face new charges.
He is due to appear before prosecutors in Sion today, where judges will decide whether to extend his period of custody.
Beyond the 40 dead, 116 others were severely burned in the fire.
Investigators believe the sparklers ignited highly flammable foam ceiling panels, rapidly spreading flames and toxic smoke throughout the basement.
Moretti’s wife is said to have driven herself home within minutes of the fire breaking out, after allegedly escaping the bar as quickly as possible while carrying the till containing the night’s cash takings.
She has since been released on bail and is wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.
The couple told investigators that when they first rented the property in 2015, they “renovated it from A to Z,” including the flooring, furniture, bar fittings and ceiling foam.
“The fire service carried out two or three inspections over ten years of operation, without ever requesting any renovations or modifications to the premises,” Moretti said.
He admitted there was no sprinkler system in place, nor even fire extinguishers.
The couple, both French nationals from the island of Corsica, are suspected of negligent manslaughter, causing bodily harm through negligence, and negligent arson.
However, the couple could be charged with murder by implied malice.
If so, the owners could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of such a crime.
Mr Moretti is a former pimp with a history of convictions and prison sentences, while his wife is said to have no previous criminal record.
Investigators believe Moretti moved to Switzerland form his native France to “try and escape his criminal past”.
The investigation into the fire – one of the deadliest nightclub disasters in Swiss history – continues.