Managers of Swiss Bar Now Subjects of Criminal Probe

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the managers of the bar where a fire at a New Year's party left 40 people dead, authorities said Saturday. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire, the Valais region's chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, told reporters. She said that the investigation was opened on Friday night and that it would help "explore all the leads." The announcement of the investigation did not name the managers, the AP reports. More than 100 other people were injured in the blaze that broke out around 1:30am Thursday at Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana. Police have said many were in their teens to mid-20s.

Investigators said Friday they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar. Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Officials said they also would look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes. The Valais region's top security official, Stéphane Ganzer, told SRF public radio Saturday that "such a huge accident with a fire in Switzerland means that something didn't work—maybe the material, maybe the organization on the spot." He added: "Something didn't work and someone made a mistake, I am sure of that."