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The Swiss government will award SFr50,000 ($56,000) in one-off solidarity payments to the victims and survivors of the deadly Crans-Montana nightclub fire, a federal intervention that comes as the criminal case has strained relations with Italy.
The blaze tore through the basement of the Constellation nightclub shortly after midnight on January 1, killing 41 people and injuring 115, according to Swiss authorities. The one-off payment will be made in respect of each person who died or was hospitalised, the government said.
Switzerland’s response to the disaster in the ski resort — from questions over fire safety to the early release of the club’s owner pending trial — has prompted scrutiny at home and diplomatic tension abroad.
Most of those who died were teenagers and many of the victims were foreigners, including several from Italy and France. The cross-border toll has heightened political sensitivities, particularly in Rome.
Witnesses and prosecutors say the blaze appears to have been sparked by indoor fireworks or sparkling candles that ignited highly flammable soundproofing foam on the bar’s basement ceiling. Criminal investigations are continuing into potential safety failings.
The Swiss federal council, the country’s seven-member executive, said it would fast-track emergency legislation to allow the payments, framing the move as an exceptional response to one of the country’s deadliest disasters.
Ministers said existing insurance and cantonal compensation mechanisms did not adequately reflect the scale of the tragedy, prompting Bern to step in with direct federal support.
Under the plan, the payments will be made irrespective of any future civil or criminal liability findings. Officials stressed the solidarity contribution does not prejudge investigations into the cause of the fire or the potential responsibility of the club’s owners and managers.
The federal council also said it would convene a roundtable aimed at helping victims, insurers and authorities reach out-of-court settlements, potentially avoiding protracted legal battles. Bern has indicated it could contribute up to SFr20mn towards such settlements.
Switzerland’s handling of the case — particularly its seemingly soft treatment of the nightclub’s owners — has caused intense friction with Rome, as six of those killed and 14 of those critically injured were young Italians.
In late January, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government recalled Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, to Rome for consultations, a move sparked by a Swiss tribunal’s decision to release the club owner, Jacques Moretti, from prison.
Meloni’s office expressed its anger at the tribunal’s decision to release Moretti “despite the extreme gravity of the crime he is suspected of, the heavy responsibilities he faces, the persistent risk of escape and the clear risk of further tampering with the evidence”.
It added: “This decision represents a grave offence and a further wound inflicted on the families of the victims of the Crans-Montana tragedy and those still hospitalised.”
At the time, Rome demanded Swiss judicial authorities establish a joint investigative team with their Italian counterparts to determine culpability for the tragedy, but Swiss authorities have resisted.
Italian law enforcement officials — who have opened their own criminal investigation into the disaster — travelled to Switzerland last week to discuss co-operation on the case with the local prosecutor. They are expected to return next month for a comprehensive review of the case.
But Italy has yet to return its ambassador to Bern, citing continued “resistance” among Swiss authorities to stronger co-operation and the refusal to set up a fully fledged joint investigation team.
