Deadly fire in Crans-Montana – what are the lessons?
A devastating fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve has claimed 40 lives and left 119 people injured. The blaze apparently broke out when sparks from table fireworks ignited the ceiling panelling in a bar. Commentators express shock at the extent of the tragedy.
Raising awareness of the dangers
The blaze is a warning to all Switzerland, La Tribune de Genève concludes:
“This deadly New Year's Eve will go down in Swiss history. It will certainly prompt the authorities to revise safety standards, tighten controls and demand compliance with regulations. We can only hope that this apocalyptic event will raise awareness of the dangers of nightlife so that something positive can come out of this tragedy despite all the grief. However, zero risk will remain unattainable. The memory of Crans-Montana will live on. As a reminder of what connects us: our lives, which are so precious and yet so fragile.”
Inferno in the land of stringent safety regulations
Blick wonders how such a blaze could occur in a country like Switzerland:
“This raises questions about what we thought were certainties: how was such an inferno possible in a country with stringent safety regulations? How can a tourist bar become a death trap in a bureaucratic state where a building permit is required for every garden shed, where every scout festival requires a permit and the food inspector checks the distance between the deep fat fryer and the waste bin? Why are there no employees with fire extinguishers to be seen in the videos showing how the fire started? Who allowed the bar operators to install the highly flammable ceiling?”
Deadly blaze as a spectacle
The horrific events in the bar are well documented on social media, as described by Weltwoche:
“Fountains of sparks from champagne bottles, a young crowd – and then suddenly the ceiling catches fire. Yet mobile phones are held up high and laughter and people saying 'wow' can be heard – a quick video for the story. Only when the room turns into a trap does panic break out. They film themselves burning. ... No, these young people did not act irrationally. They followed a reflex that had been drilled into them since childhood: nothing is real until it has been captured on screen. Anything you experience, you document. Those who don't do this have missed out. By this logic, the fire is first and foremost a spectacle – and then content. Only after a delay does the danger register.”