Husband and wife owners of Swiss nightclub where 40 people died in New Year's Eve fire say they 'can't eat or sleep'
The couple also defended the venue's health and safety protocols
The owners of the Swiss nightclub where at least 40 people were killed in a New Year's Eve bar fire claim they have been left unable to sleep or eat since the tragedy.
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French couple Jacques Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica, 40, who was reportedly inside at the time and suffered burns to her arm, own the Le Constellation club, located in the Crans-Montana ski resort.
The blaze, believed to have started by "flares" placed on top of champagne bottles held too close to the ceiling, spread across the venue in the early hours of New Year's Day.
At least 40 people have since died and around 119 are injured, most of who are in their teens and twenties with severe third-degree burns, police said.
Read more: Vigil held in Swiss ski resort after at least 47 killed and 115 injured in New Year's Eve bar fire
Mr Moretti, who unlike his wife wasn't inside the venue, has since spoken out and defended the bar's health and safety after it emerged the venue was fitted with wooden furnishings and foam-style ceiling material and had only one narrow staircase.
"We can neither sleep nor eat, we are all very unwell," he told Swiss publication 20 Minuten.
"Everything had been done according to regulation."
He added: "We will do everything we can to help clarify the causes. We are doing everything in our power. Our lawyers are also involved."
The couple have already been questioned by authorities and could face manslaughter charges, according to Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for the Valais region.
Ms Pilloud said: "We assume that the fire originated from sparklers attached to champagne bottles. From there, the ceiling caught fire.
"We are also looking at what materials were used. The issue of emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and the bar's occupancy is also being investigated."
The prosecutor added that while unclear if criminal charges will be brought, it is possible that an investigation for "negligent homicide will be initiated."
The first victim to be publicly identified earlier on Friday was rising golf star 17-year-old Emanuele Galeppini from Italy.
The Italian Golf Federation confirmed his death, paying tribute to a "young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values"."In this time of great sorrow, our thoughts go out to his family and all those who loved him."
Mr Moretti and his wife opened the bar in December 2015 after falling in love with the area when they visited for a week's holiday in 2011, the Daily Mail reports.
The bar, which features an upstairs terrace and a basement club, with DJs and live music, became one of the most popular nightspots in the town with a clientele of mainly young and affluent winter sports fans and locals.
According to the Crans-Montana website, the bar offered an "elegant space" and a "festive atmosphere."
It's understood that it is also one of few bars in the ski resort that allows revellers who are 16 and over inside rather than having to be 18.
Mr and Mrs Moretti later opened two other restaurants in the area following the success of La Constellation. Local sources say the couple are "completely in shock."
It was also earlier revealed that one of the missing, teenager Charlotte Niddam, previously studied at the Immanuel College private school in Hertfordshire, is among the missing.
Charlotte previously attended the Jewish school before moving back to France with her family.
One witness named Julie, who was inside the bar celebrating the new year, said: "Everyone was having fun and then I saw someone put a lit sparkler or a firework, like a candle in a champagne bottle, on a high table.
"The sparks flew up to the ceiling and the whole thing ignited. In a few seconds, the entire ceiling was on fire."
She added: "I saw a young guy writhing in agony on the floor. His body was badly burnt, his hair too, and half of his face was gone. It was like a horror film. I can’t see how he would have survived. I think he must have died."
Police commander Frédéric Gisler said all apart from six of the 119 injured have been formally identified, but Swiss officials are yet to share the names of any victims or injured.
The injured included 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French and 11 Italians, as well as citizens from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland.
The nationalities of 14 people were still unclear.