The Swiss government has announced the granting of exceptional financial assistance to those affected by the tragic fire in the Crans-Montana resort. The families of the 41 fatal victims and 115 injured will receive 50,000 Swiss francs each in additional support. The Federal Council's decision aims to quickly alleviate the financial consequences of the disaster and avoid lengthy legal battles through a proposal for amicable dispute resolution.

High solidarity payments

The Swiss government has granted 50,000 francs to each victim's family and injured person, in addition to earlier cantonal assistance.

"Round table" initiative

The authorities propose a 20 million franc fund for an amicable settlement of claims, to spare the victims' relatives years of legal proceedings.

Cooperation with Italian prosecutors

Switzerland has provided the case files to investigators from Rome, which is crucial due to the deaths of six Italian citizens.

The Swiss Federal Council has approved a draft urgent federal law, known as "Lex Crans-Montana," which provides for the payment of one-time solidarity benefits to victims of the New Year's Eve disaster. Each family of a deceased person and each injured person requiring hospitalization will receive an amount of 50,000 Swiss francs (approximately 55,000 euros). These funds are separate from the earlier assistance of 10,000 francs paid by the canton of Valais. Swiss President Guy Parmelin emphasized that this support is an expression of national empathy for the tragedy, which claimed 41 lives, including eight children under the age of 16. The federal government plans to allocate a total of 7.8 million francs for this purpose, plus an additional 20 million francs to organize a "round table." This is intended to facilitate an agreement between the victims, insurance companies, and the premises' owners, which would help avoid years of civil compensation lawsuits. The investigation revealed that the direct cause of the fire at the Le Constellation bar was the ignition of pyrotechnic flares attached to champagne bottles, which set fire to flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling of the venue. The fire in Crans-Montana is one of the most tragic disasters in Swiss entertainment venues. Similar incidents worldwide, such as the Station nightclub fire in the USA (2003) and the Colectiv fire in Romania (2015), led to a radical tightening of fire safety standards across Europe.Simultaneously, international cooperation in the investigation is developing. The public prosecutor's office of the canton of Valais has provided the full investigative documentation to investigators from Italy, where six of the deceased teenagers were from. The Italian prosecutor's office is conducting parallel proceedings for negligent homicide and disaster. The tragic events have resonated widely in popular culture – during the Sanremo festival, singer Achille Lauro paid tribute to the victims by dedicating his song "Perdutamente" to them. The Swiss Parliament is expected to finally approve the aid package during its session in March 2026.

Mentioned People

  • Guy Parmelin — President of the Swiss Confederation in 2026.
  • Beat Jans — Swiss Minister of Justice and Police.
  • Achille Lauro — Italian singer who paid tribute to the victims during the Sanremo festival.