GENEVA, Jan 4 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Switzerland’s Valais cantonal police said on Sunday that they have identified 16 more victims who died in a fire that broke out at a bar in Crans-Montana on New Year’s night, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
In a statement, police said that following the incident, “16 more victims have been identified and their bodies returned to their families.”
Authorities said the victims include four Swiss women aged 18, two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old; six Swiss men aged 31, 20, 18, 17 and two 16-year-olds; two 16-year-old Italians; a 16-year-old dual national (Italy and United Arab Emirates); an 18-year-old Romanian; a 39-year-old Frenchman; and an 18-year-old Turk.
To date, 24 of the deceased have been identified, police said, including those identified on Saturday. Among them are six Swiss women aged 24, 22, 21 (two), 18 and 16, and two Swiss men aged 18 and 16.
The statement added that identification procedures concerning other victims, both deceased and injured, are ongoing, noting that any new information will be communicated “as soon as possible.”
Police said no additional details will be released for now out of respect for the relatives.
Identification operations are being conducted by the Valais Cantonal Police, the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team and the Institute of Forensic Medicine, according to the statement.
The blaze at the bar killed 40 people and injured 119 others, officials have said. Most of the injured have been identified, while the medical condition remains critical for many survivors, according to Valais police.
On Saturday, Valais police said a criminal investigation has been opened into two bar managers over the deadly fire.
The suspects are accused of “negligent homicide, negligent personal injury and negligent arson,” police added, stressing that “the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is pronounced.”
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said on Friday that early investigative findings suggest that sparkling candles on champagne bottles ignited the fire as they were too close to the ceiling.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
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