Emergency exit in Swiss ski resort venue 'was always locked,' bartender claims amid investigation into deadly fire

At least 40 people have died and around 119 are injured after a fire broke out at the Le Constellation club, located in the Crans-Montana ski resort, in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

A criminal investigation has since been launched into the bar’s two managers, who are being investigated on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing fire by negligence.

The probe is focusing on the champagne sparklers lit inside the bar, the foam on its ceiling, as well as the location and quality of emergency exits.

One of those emergency exits, which would have provided a potential escape route, was reportedly located within the basement.

But Andrea, 31, a regular at Le Constellation who works as a bartender elsewhere in the resort, claimed the doors were always locked.

Read more: Sixteen more victims of Swiss ski resort fire identified, including three aged under 16

Read more: Swiss bar manager under criminal investigation following New Year's Eve fire that left 40 dead

She told German newspaper Bild: “There was an entrance that also served as an exit. And there was an emergency exit. But whenever I was there, it was always locked.

“Everyone in town knew things were bound to go wrong eventually.

“The emergency exit was in a separate smoking room. Hardly anyone used it; most went up to the conservatory. The smoking room was used as a kind of storage room. There was a sofa inside in front of the door, and carelessly discarded objects lay outside.”

The account of another witness, Grigori, appeared to corroborate Andrea’s claims.

“There's another exit, but I think they were locking it because some people were escaping without paying,” he claimed.

A third exit on the bar’s ground floor, leading into a covered shopping area, has also reportedly been identified.

Those using that exit would need to leave through another glass door to escape on to the street, according to the Mail on Sunday.

It is not clear whether those doors were locked or open when the fire broke out.

It comes as a further 16 victims, including three under the age of 16, were identified by police on Sunday.

This brings the total number of those idenfied as dead in the fire to 24, officials said in a statement. Authorities confirmed the first four victims of the fire on Saturday afternoon, which included two 16-year-old Swiss teenagers.

Pictures and footage circulated on social media in the wake of the tragedy appeared to show a waitress carrying bottles decorated with flares 'often used on birthday cakes' while being carried on the shoulders of a masked figure.

The images also appear to show areas of the ceiling catching light as sparks from the bottles fly into the air.

the owners of the Swiss nightclub claimed they have been left unable to sleep or eat since the tragedy.

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 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."