Crans‑Montana tragedy: Switzerland holds a minute’s silence for bar fire victims

On Friday, January 9 at 2pm, Switzerland observed a minute’s silence as church bells rang out across the country in memory of those who lost their lives in the devastating bar fire in Crans‑Montana.

Sara Pasino

I oversee the distribution and social media channels for the English department and write news articles in English.
I studied modern languages, English, and Russian literature, then completed an MA in international journalism in Cardiff. After that, I worked for BBC Education in Manchester for a few years before moving to Switzerland.

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The blaze at the Le Constellation bar on New Year’s Eve claimed 40 lives and left 116 people injured.

+ Crans-Montana tragedy highlights limits of Swiss federal system

More than 1,000 people gathered for a memorial service in Martigny, in canton Valais. Government officials and politicians from Switzerland and abroad were among those in attendance.

Watch our video for footage from the memorial service, provided by Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF.