Crans-Montana Tragedy Highlights Limits Of Swiss Federal System

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The deadly New Year's Eve blaze in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana has raised questions and criticism abroad: how could such a tragedy occur in Switzerland, which is often viewed as "the land of rules"? An analysis by Swissinfo journalists. This content was published on January 9, 2026 - 09:09 11 minutes

I work as editor and correspondent at the Federal Palace. I report on Swiss politics for the Swiss Abroad and manage our political talk show Let's Talk. I started in local journalism in the early nineties and have worked in many journalistic fields, held management positions and covered a range of topics. I joined SWI swissinfo in 2017.

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I write original and in-depth data-driven articles using my skills in data analysis and visualisation. I cover a wide array of topics, among which are Switzerland's place in global trade, climate change and demographics. Born and raised in France, I studied international relations in Lyon, then graduated from Lille journalism school in 2011. I have been living in Switzerland since 2012 and worked at RTS for eight years before joining SWI swissinfo in 2020.

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• Deutsch de Das Inferno von Crans-Montana führt die Schweiz an die Grenzen ihres Systems Read more: Das Inferno von Crans-Montana führt die Schweiz an die Grenzen ihres Sy
• Français fr La tragédie de Crans-Montana pousse la Suisse aux limites de son système Original Read more: La tragédie de Crans-Montana pousse la Suisse aux limites de son sys
• Italiano it La tragedia di Crans-Montana spinge la Svizzera ai limiti del suo sistema Read more: La tragedia di Crans-Montana spinge la Svizzera ai limiti del suo si
• Español es Respuestas a algunas de las críticas a Suiza sobre la tragedia de Crans-Montana Read more: Respuestas a algunas de las críticas a Suiza sobre la tragedia de Crans-Mo
• 中文 zh 克朗-蒙塔纳悲剧将瑞士推至其体制的极限 Read more: 克朗-蒙塔纳悲剧将瑞士推至其
• Русский ru Трагедия в Кран-Монтане: Швейцария в трауре и неудобные вопросы Read more: Трагедия в Кран-Монтане: Швейцария в трауре и неудобные во

A few days after the devastating fire in the Le Constellation bar, one thing is clear: the tragedy was avoidable. If the existing safety standards had been properly applied, the death toll – 40 victims, including 20 minors, and 116 injured – would probably have been much lower. The disaster might not even have happened.

This has not escaped the attention of the rest of the world. Among Switzerland's immediate neighbours, emotions are running high, amid incomprehension and anger.“Perhaps it's time for the country of supposed perfection to lower its sights, not out of shame, but to face reality,” wrote the Italian press.

Switzerland is being forced to rise to the challenge of a dramatic event which is disrupting its traditional way of doing things – and perhaps even overwhelming it.

Wide repercussions

Following the tragedy, the Crans-Montana authorities initially reacted like a village. The resort's permanent resident population is typically less than 11,000, but in winter it can rise to around 40,000. This is when the village turns into an international town. With this kind of growth, responsibility inevitably increases.

More More Swiss bar fire likely started by sparklers on champagne bottles, says prosecutor

This content was published on Jan 2, 2026 Around 40 people were killed and 119 injured in a bar fire on New Year's Eve in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.

Read more: Swiss bar fire likely started by sparklers on champagne bottles, says prose

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