The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Féraud.
Keystone-SDA
The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Féraud, says he is ready to assume his responsibilities for events surrounding the deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire in the Swiss ski resort. He had been silent since the municipality’s press conference on January 6 in which he failed to apologise to the victims of the tragedy.
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The aim of the January 6 press conference, the mayor told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday, was to inform. He now regrets that he did not apologise to the victims on behalf of the municipality.
He said it was an emotionally difficult time for everyone and he made the mistake of being over cautious when trying to deal with the official part of the press conference, rather than leaving room for an apology and emotion.
The mayor says he realises that many people view him as a guilty party.
+ Crans-Montana fire raises questions over federal crisis response
But he says it will be up to the public prosecutors leading the ongoing investigation into the fire in the Le Constellation bar that killed 40 and injured 116 to determine responsibilities.
“Humanly, and without speculating on what the justice system will say, I feel the weight of responsibility. For the time being, I have not been heard. I will assume what I will have to assume if I should be blamed,” he said.
Féraud says he cries every day for the young victims and the seriously injured who are still suffering.
“This trauma will remain with me all my life. The wound is open and my heart is broken. It is the worst moment of my life and will remain until the end. I have started therapy with a psychologist and I think it will last a long time,” he said.
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Crans-Montana tragedy highlights limits of Swiss federal system
Adapted from French by AI/sb
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