The glittering lights of New Year’s Eve had barely faded when horror descended upon the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. What began as a lavish celebration at Le Constellation nightclub—a hotspot for the elite, where champagne flowed freely and music pulsed through the night—ended in unimaginable tragedy. On January 1, 2026, a ferocious fire ripped through the venue, claiming the lives of 40 revelers and injuring over 100 more. As flames engulfed the ceiling and panic spread like wildfire, patrons scrambled for exits, their festive cheers turning to screams of terror. Now, as investigators sift through the charred remains, a darker story emerges: the club’s owner, Jacques Moretti, is no stranger to the shadows. A French national with a rap sheet spanning decades, including convictions for pimping, fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment, Moretti’s sordid past has thrust this catastrophe into a realm of scandal and suspicion. Was negligence at play? Or something more sinister? This is the explosive tale of glamour gone wrong, where luxury met lethality, and a man’s criminal legacy casts a long, ominous shadow over the Alps.

Crans-Montana, perched high in the Valais canton of Switzerland, is a playground for the wealthy and adventurous. With its breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, world-class ski slopes, and a vibrant après-ski scene, the resort attracts celebrities, oligarchs, and tourists from across the globe. Le Constellation, nestled in the heart of this alpine paradise, was a crown jewel of the nightlife. Opened in 2015 by Moretti and his wife Jessica, the club boasted sleek modern design, VIP lounges, and a reputation for extravagant parties. On New Year’s Eve, it was packed to capacity—over 300 guests, many in glittering attire, toasting to 2026 with bottles of premium champagne adorned with sparkling flares. “It was the place to be,” one survivor later told Swiss media. “Music thumping, lights flashing, everyone euphoric.” But beneath the veneer of opulence lay hidden dangers.

The fire ignited around midnight, just as the countdown to the new year reached its climax. According to Swiss Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud, the blaze started innocuously but catastrophically: “Everything suggests that the fire started with incandescent candles placed in champagne bottles, which were brought too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid and widespread conflagration.” These “sparkler bottles”—a festive gimmick popular in high-end clubs—were positioned perilously near flammable decorations and low-hanging ceilings. Flames erupted instantly, spreading with ferocious speed through the crowded space. Panic ensued as smoke billowed, visibility dropped to zero, and exits became bottlenecks. Eyewitnesses described hellish scenes: people trampling one another, choking on acrid fumes, and desperately clawing at locked doors. “It was like a furnace,” recounted a bartender who escaped with severe burns. “One minute, cheers; the next, screams and fire everywhere.”

theguardian.com

Le Constellation bar fire in Switzerland: what we know so far …

The death toll climbed rapidly as rescuers arrived. Forty lives lost—tourists from France, Italy, the UK, and Switzerland, including young partygoers in their 20s and families celebrating together. Over 100 were hospitalized, many with life-altering injuries from burns, smoke inhalation, and crush wounds. Among the injured was Jessica Moretti herself, who suffered burns to her arms while trying to guide patrons out. Jacques Moretti, however, was notably absent from the scene that night, raising early eyebrows among investigators. The resort, usually a symbol of serene luxury, transformed into a war zone: sirens wailing, helicopters hovering, and the acrid smell of smoke lingering in the crisp alpine air.

As the embers cooled, scrutiny turned to the owners. Jacques Moretti, in his mid-60s and hailing from the rugged island of Corsica, has a history as turbulent as the Mediterranean storms of his homeland. French media outlets, including Le Parisien and RTL, have unearthed a criminal past that paints him as a figure straight out of a thriller novel. “He is no stranger to the French justice system,” Le Parisien reported, detailing cases stretching back over two decades. Moretti was known in underworld circles as a “pimp” involved in exploiting women, with convictions for running illicit operations that preyed on vulnerability. But his rap sheet doesn’t stop there. He served time in Savoie prison for fraud—schemes that allegedly involved deceptive business dealings—and more alarmingly, kidnapping and false imprisonment. RTL, citing legal sources, confirmed: “His prison stint involved cases of pimping, fraud, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.” Details remain murky, but reports suggest the kidnapping involved a rival or debtor, held against their will in a bid for leverage or ransom. Moretti’s Corsican roots add an intriguing layer— the island is infamous for its mafia-like clans and vendettas, though no direct links have been confirmed.

How did a man with such a checkered history come to own a premier nightclub in one of Switzerland’s most exclusive resorts? Moretti and his wife Jessica acquired Le Constellation in 2015, rebranding it as a high-end venue catering to the jet-set crowd. Swiss regulations for business ownership are stringent, but Moretti’s convictions were in France, and he had no active warrants. The club passed inspections—albeit only three times in a decade, a fact now under intense scrutiny. Critics argue this lax oversight allowed potential safety lapses to go unchecked. “We followed all safety regulations as required by Swiss law,” Moretti insisted in a statement, but questions abound: Were fire exits adequate? Were materials flame-retardant? And why were sparkler displays permitted in such close quarters?

euronews.com

False images and misleading claims circulate online after Crans …

Prosecutors are wasting no time. Swiss authorities announced plans to open an inquiry into “arson by negligence” and “manslaughter by negligence” against the Morettis if evidence points to criminal liability. The couple is cooperating, answering questions from their home in Crans-Montana, but the net is tightening. “This was preventable,” said one anonymous investigator to local media. “The sparklers were a recipe for disaster in a packed venue.” Fire safety experts echo this, noting that champagne bottle flares, while visually stunning, pose extreme risks near low ceilings or flammable decor. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere—recall the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, USA, where pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation, killing 100. In Switzerland, a nation priding itself on precision and safety, this lapse is particularly jarring.

The victims’ stories add layers of heartbreak. Among the dead were a young French couple on their honeymoon, an Italian ski instructor celebrating his birthday, and a group of British tourists who had saved for months for the trip. Survivors recount nightmarish escapes: crawling through smoke-filled halls, jumping from windows, and witnessing friends succumb to the flames. “I held my wife’s hand as we ran, but the crowd separated us,” one man told rescuers, his voice choked with emotion. Hospitals in nearby Sion and Lausanne overflowed with the injured, many in critical condition with third-degree burns and respiratory damage. Psychological trauma is rampant—survivors speak of flashbacks, guilt, and sleepless nights.

Moretti’s past amplifies the outrage. His pimping convictions, dating back to the early 2000s, involved exploiting women in France’s seedy underbelly, preying on immigrants and runaways with promises of work that turned into coercion. The fraud charges stemmed from bogus investment schemes, defrauding investors of thousands. The kidnapping case, perhaps the most chilling, allegedly involved holding a business associate captive for days, demanding payment for fabricated debts. Imprisoned in Savoie, a region known for its alpine prisons, Moretti served time before relocating to Switzerland, where he reinvented himself as a legitimate entrepreneur. But whispers followed him—local rumors in Crans-Montana hinted at shady dealings, though nothing stuck until now.

Jessica Moretti, his wife and co-owner, has her own enigmatic background. Described as a former model, she met Jacques in France and has stood by him through controversies. Burned in the fire while aiding escapes, she’s portrayed as a victim herself, but investigators are probing her role in operations. Did the couple cut corners on safety to boost profits? Le Constellation’s glamorous facade—crystal chandeliers, velvet booths, celebrity DJs—belied potential hazards like overcrowded events and inadequate fire suppression.

pbs.org

Swiss investigators believe sparkling flares atop Champagne …

The resort’s economy is reeling. Crans-Montana, home to luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermes, relies on tourism. The fire has sparked cancellations, with hotels reporting 30% drops in bookings. “This tarnishes our image,” a local hotelier lamented. Broader implications for Swiss nightlife loom—calls for stricter inspections, bans on indoor pyrotechnics, and background checks for venue owners are gaining traction. “How could a convicted criminal run a public space?” asked one Swiss MP.

As the investigation unfolds, Moretti’s past collides with the present. Will charges stick, or will he evade justice again? The 40 souls lost demand answers. In the snow-covered Alps, where beauty masks brutality, this inferno reveals the fragility of glamour and the enduring stain of a dark history.