Crans-Montana, a note from the Farnesina triggers the Italian investigation: Rome prosecutors investigate for manslaughter

The public prosecutor's office of Rome opened an investigation file on the fire in Crans-Montana (Canton Valais, Switzerland) that cost the lives of 40 people, six of them Italian. The case is being prosecuted for manslaughter and fire. The tragedy took place in the night between 31 December and 1 January 2026 in the bas Le Constellation, with a devastating impact among minors.

The investigation was launched by the capital's prosecutors, who normally have jurisdiction over episodes involving Italian citizens abroad. According to information, the Farnesina has sent Piazzale Clodio a communication concerning what happened on New Year's Eve in Crans-Montana. Maximum reserve on the part of the investigators, who will delegate the investigation to the police.

According to rumours, the Foreign Ministry memo reconstructed the facts, highlighting the role of the owners of the facility. Elements that could trigger an entry in the register of suspects. According to initial verifications, the fire would have been triggered by pyrotechnic candles/sparklers used during the celebrations on champagne bottles, which would have reached the ceiling, causing the flames to spread rapidly.

The updated figure released by the authorities and relayed by several international sources is 40 dead and 116 injured. The number of injured was revised downwards from an initial count (119), after it was clarified that three people who ended up in hospital that night were unrelated to the event.

The names of five young Italians brought back to Italy on a C-130 state flight: Achille, Chiara, Giovanni, Emanuele and Riccardo. The sixth Italian victim, Sofia Prosperi, was not on the flight because she lived in Lugano.