Switzerland mourns victims of deadly New Year's Eve bar fire

At 2:00 p.m. local time, church bells rang across Switzerland, train whistles sounded nationwide, and the country observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

MARTIGNY, Switzerland, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident.

Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns.

The memorial service was attended by leaders and representatives from more than 30 countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin said at the ceremony that steps must be taken to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again, stressing that the justice system should identify any shortcomings and hold those responsible accountable without delay or leniency.

At 2:00 p.m. local time, church bells rang across Switzerland, train whistles sounded nationwide, and the country observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

Earlier on Friday, Jacques Moretti and Jessica Moretti, owners of the "Constellation" bar where the fire occurred, were questioned as suspects by prosecutors. They face charges including manslaughter, assault and arson. Jacques Moretti is currently being held in pretrial detention.

Officials in Crans-Montana said the bar had last undergone a safety inspection in January 2019. A separate memorial service was also held in Crans-Montana on Friday, where residents gathered to pay tribute to the victims.

The fire killed 40 people and injured more than 100 others. ■