A day of national mourning has taken place in Switzerland for the 40 young people who lost their lives in a fire at a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort on New Year’s Eve.
People stood for a minute’s silence in memory of the victims, who were mostly teenagers, whilst Church bells rang out across the country for five minutes.
Firefighters who tackled the deadly blaze at the resort were applauded as a tribute ceremony to the victims was live streamed from the Swiss town.
Tributes have been posted online to some of the known victims, including security guard Stefan Ivanović. The 31-year-old Serbian native is said to have lost his life in the fire while rescuing others.
It is understood that Ivanović had managed to make it safely outside, but went back into the flames to save a number of young people.
A campaign has been launched to bring his body home to Serbia, with a fundraiser stating: “That evening, Stefan was working as a security officer. When the fire broke out, he could have escaped.
“He chose to stay. He threw himself into the flames, trying to extinguish the fire and evacuate as many people as possible who were still trapped inside. Through his courage and selflessness, Stefan saved lives. His heroic act cost him his own life.”
One of the owners of the bar, Jacques Moretti, a French national, has been arrested, with a source close to the BBC reporting that he had been remanded in custody.
He and his wife Jessica, who is also French, are suspected of causing death by negligence.
It is understood that the fire was caused by a sparkler attached to a champagne bottle, with the flames spreading rapidly in the basement bar due to a soundproofing foam covering the ceiling of the ski resort bar.
The owners have been accused of not having enough staff working at the time, as well as failing to have a clear emergency exit.