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Tense press conference highlights council's shortcomings

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 06:30

Image from inside the Constellatio bar just before the tragedy

Questions continue to mount over the role of Crans-Montana’s council following last week’s deadly fire.

At a tense press conference yesterday, the municipality’s president, Nicolas Féraud, admitted that the last mandatory safety inspection of the bar took place in 2019, despite annual checks being required. 

He was unable to explain why no inspections occurred over the following five years, even though he insists the department was adequately staffed. 

While the council has announced new checks and safety bans, many basic questions remain unanswered, reinforcing criticism of serious oversight failures at the local level.

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