Survivor of New Year's Eve nightclub fire demands justice for ignored safety failures

A devastating fire at Le Constellation nightclub in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve has left survivors grappling with trauma and unanswered questions. Gaëtan, a bartender who worked that night, counts himself lucky to be alive—but his recovery has been long, and his grief for lost colleagues runs deep.

The blaze, which broke out on 31 December 2023, claimed the lives of a waitress and a DJ, while another of Gaëtan's roommates remains in critical condition. Now, as investigations reveal years of ignored fire safety failures, Gaëtan is speaking out about the night that changed his life forever.

Gaëtan remembers the chaos beginning with screams and frantic shouts of warning. He tried to reach the source of the fire, pushing through the smoke-choked stairwell, but collapsed just one step from the top. After that, his memory cuts out—he believes he lost consciousness from the fumes.

He spent the next eight days in a medically induced coma. When he briefly woke, his injuries were severe: damaged lungs, a wounded kidney, burns on his forearm, hand, and shoulder, along with trauma to his back and head. His first words to his mother were that he could never work in a bar again.

The fire's toll extends beyond physical wounds. Gaëtan is haunted by the loss of friends and the survival of another roommate still fighting for life. His anger now turns toward his employers, the Moretti family, who he accuses of neglecting safety and deflecting blame.

Official records show Le Constellation had not been inspected for six years, despite annual requirements. Warnings from 2015 about fire hazards—like flammable ceiling materials and locked exits—went unaddressed. Inspections in 2018 and 2019 flagged unresolved issues, but follow-ups never happened. A 2023 audit later revealed systemic failures, including understaffed municipal controls and lost documentation. The oversights allowed dangerous conditions to persist, prompting wider investigations and the closure of other venues.

Gaëtan's survival came at a steep cost, both physically and emotionally. The fire exposed critical gaps in safety enforcement, with years of unheeded warnings now under scrutiny. As authorities examine the failures that led to the tragedy, he and others affected are left questioning whether stricter measures could have prevented the loss of life that night.