BEIJING/CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday extended condolences to President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin over a fire tragedy in Switzerland’s Valais Canton.
In his message, Xi noted that the massive fire in Crans-Montana, a town in the Valais Canton, caused significant casualties.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi conveyed deep condolences to the victims and expressed sincere sympathies to the bereaved families, wishing those injured a speedy recovery.
Parmelin has announced a national day of mourning on Jan 9 for the victims of the blaze that broke out around 1:30 am on Thursday at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Forty people died and 119 were injured in the blaze.
On Sunday, hundreds marched in silence to honor the bar fire victims. Somber mourners, many with reddened eyes, filed silently out of the chapel to organ music after an hour-long Mass at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe in Crans-Montana. Some exchanged hugs, others applauded, before joining the silent march up the hill to Le Constellation bar.
Many hundreds of people, some cradling flower bouquets, walked in the dense snaking procession in the bright sunlight past shuttered stores. Up on the mountain overlooking the town, snow machines sent plumes of white flakes into the air.
At the top of the street, in front of Le Constellation, that is still largely shielded from view by white screens, the swelling crowds stood in near total silence, some weeping. Then they broke out into sustained applause — hands in gloves and mittens against the cold — as a stream of mourners and well-wishers deposited flower bouquets at a makeshift memorial piled with flowers, cuddly toys and other tributes.
‘Moment of darkness’
“We are going through a moment of crushing darkness but we are going through it together,” one speaker said.
During the Mass, Rev. Gilles Cavin spoke of the “terrible uncertainty” for families unsure if their loved ones are among the dead or still alive among the injured. “We pray for their friends hard hit by misery on this day that was meant to be one of festivities and friendship,” he said.
Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.
Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation of the bar managers.
The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, the Valais region’s chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, told reporters on Saturday. The announcement of the investigation did not name the managers.
Investigators said on Friday they believe sparkling candles atop champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.
By Sunday morning, Swiss authorities identified 24 out of the 40 victims.
Swiss authorities said the process of identifying victims was particularly hard because of the advanced degree of the burns, requiring the use of DNA samples. Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.
