New Year’s Eve fire at Swiss bar killed 40, with Cyane Panine, a worker who reportedly lacked safety training, holding the fireworks.
No Safety Training
As preliminarily established, the cause of the fire in the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana was the ignition of soundproof foam that lined the ceiling, from artificial fireworks attached to champagne bottles.
Footage shows that Cyane Panine, an employee of the establishment, was holding them. According to BBC, the woman’s family lawyer claims she was not informed about the danger posed by the ceiling and did not undergo any safety training.
She Held the Cold Fire
On the day of the event, the 24-year-old reportedly “should not have been serving guests at all.” However, her family lawyer conveyed that she was asked to come down and help with serving.
Footage shows Cyane Panine holding bottles with artificial fireworks and wearing a helmet. Her lawyer stated that Cyane was simply doing her job as requested by employers and is “undoubtedly a victim” who “felt exploited” and “suffered due to working conditions.”
Tragic Fire, 40 Dead
The incident occurred on New Year’s Eve. In the fire, 40 people died and 116 were injured, including two Polish women.
The Crans-Montana municipality had not inspected the bar since 2019, meaning there was no chance to detect irregularities. The co-owner of the bar testified that emergency exits were closed.
So far, the couple of owners have been charged in connection with the fire. Swiss lawyers indicate that officials may also face charges due to irregularities.
