The owner of the Swiss bar where a deadly fire erupted on New Year’s Day was today taken into custody for the first time since the blaze.  

Jacques Moretti, the manager of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana where a New Year’s Eve fire killed 40 people and injured more than 100 others, was arrested in Sion on the orders of Swiss prosecutors.

His partner, Jessica Moretti, co-owner of Le Constellation, has been placed under house arrest.

He and his wife, fellow co-owner Jessica, attended a hearing at the Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Valais in Sion.

The French couple are facing charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and negligent arson.

The couple did not answer questions from reporters but have previously expressed their grief over the tragic events, saying they would cooperate fully.

According to Swiss newspaper, ‍24 Heures, Jacques ‌Moretti was detained due to being a potential flight risk and his partner, Jessica Moretti must wear an electroic tag and report to police every three days, with measures to be confirmed.

The move represents a significant shift in the investigation. As recently as January 4, Valais prosecutors had ruled out placing the 49-year-old Corsican in custody. However, prosecutor Catherine Seppey said Jacques Moretti’s French nationality – as France does not extradite its own citizens – and his history of working in Corsica, Haute-Savoie and Switzerland indicated a risk of flight and justified his detention.

Several of the victims’ families have filed legal complaints over the fire, which is thought to have started when flares on champagne bottles were held too close to the ceiling. An inferno erupted in the venue around 1.30am as mostly young people were celebrating the arrival of 2026.

The blaze spread quickly, sparking a panicked rush towards an exit, with witnesses reporting screams, people climbing over each other and windows being smashed as guests tried to flee the crowded venue.

It has now emerged that the Alpine ski resort bar had gone five years without a safety inspection – the last one taking place in 2019.

Hundreds of mourners, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, gathered in the ski resort town today to pay tribute to the victims.

Parmelin has previously called the fire “one of the worst tragedies in our country’s history”.