Chronicle

Italia-Switzerland dispute over reimbursement for medical treatment of three injured in the Crans-Montana fire

Switzerland demands reimbursement of the medical expenses incurred for three young Italians, but Italia refuses, citing the principle of reciprocity and the assistance provided to Swiss citizens.

24 April 2026

Un'ambulanza parte dall'Ospedale del Vallese, dove sono state accolte vittime e feriti della strage avvenuta nel bar «Le Constellation» durante una festa di Capodanno 2026. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy REUTERS

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Berne to decide on Italian injured medical expenses
Elsa exits intensive care after 58 days

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Swiss mutual insurance company will ask Italia for the reimbursement of 100,000 francs (108,000 euros approx.) of the medical expenses incurred by the hospital in Sion for the brief hospitalisation of three Italian boys injured in the Constellation fire in Crans-Montana.

This was the outcome of this afternoon's meeting between Italy's ambassador in Bern Gian Lorenzo Cornado and thepresident of the canton of Valais Mathias Reynard, who said he had no margin, from a regulatory point of view, to take charge of the costs.

"Italia will not pay for the medical expenses for the injured in Crans-Montana, for which Switzerland intends to ask for reimbursement; our country took charge for weeks of the care of two Swiss citizens at the Niguarda Hospital in Milan and the Valle d'Aosta civil protection took part in the rescue with its own helicopter in the first hours of the tragedy: there is a principle of reciprocity that must be respected'.

Italy's ambassador to Bern, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, explained this after a meeting with the president of the canton of Valais, Mathias Reynard.

Berne to decide on Italian wounded medical expenses

The handling of the reimbursement request will follow the procedure laid down in the Swiss system through the joint institution LaMal.

This was reported by the Corriere del Ticino.

According to reports, it will in fact be the LsMal that will determine 'which insurance company bears which benefit', with the involvement of the Italian insurance counterparts.

Switzerland will therefore not directly reimburse the bills, while any residue can only be covered on a residual basis at cantonal level.

"Except for the residual ones, there are no possibilities for direct intervention," Reynard is reported to have specified, who nevertheless indicated the need for coordination with Berne for a possible bilateral solution, while respecting the principle of reciprocity with the canton of Valais.

Meloni: ignoble request from Switzerland, we will reject it

"I learn from press reports that the Swiss authorities intend to ask Italia to pay the exorbitant medical expenses that the hospital in Sion has allegedly incurred for the hospitalisation, even for a few hours, of some young people injured in the fire at Crans-Montana. Should this ignoble request be formalised, I announce as of now that Italia will reject it and will not follow it up. I trust in the sense of responsibility of the Swiss authorities and I hope that the news will prove to be completely unfounded'. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote this on her social networks.

Tajani: 'It seems obvious to me that we will not pay the costs'

"It seems to me that it is obvious that we do not pay": this is the answer of the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, to the question on the request for reimbursement of medical expenses from Switzerland to Italia for young people injured in the Crans-Montana tragedy. "The responsibility lies only with those who ran that club and those who did not have the checks done. There is no Italian responsibility,' Tajani reiterated.

Elsa leaves intensive care after 58 days

When she heard that she was going to be transferred to another hospital, she could not hold back her tears, because the doctors and medical staff at the Centro grande bruciionati del Cto di Torino had become like family to her.

Elsa, the 15-year-old student from Biella who was seriously injured in the fire on 31 December in Crans-Montana, is out of danger.

After 58 days spent in the intensive care unit of the Large Burns Centre, she was transferred to the nearby Regina Margherita Children's Hospital.

Isabella e Lorenzo

I genitori di Elsa

I genitori di Elsa, la quindicenne biellese rimasta ferita nel rogo di Capodanno a Crans-Montana, alla conferenza stampa indetta per annunciare che la giovane è stata dimessa dal Cto di Torino, 24 aprile 2026. ANSA/BRUNO BRIZZI

The announcement was made by the doctors and their emotional parents, Lorenzo and Isabella.