🚨 “THE ESCAPE WAY SIGN IS DECEIVED”
Some victims of a bar fire in Switzerland were discovered lying under a lighted emergency exit sign. Investigators are now questioning whether the sign directed them to a dangerous place instead of an emergency exit.
👇 DESIGN FAILURES UNDER CONSIDERATION — COMMENT 👇

“THE ESCAPE WAY SIGN IS DECEIVED”: Investigators Probe Whether Misleading or Ineffective Emergency Signage Contributed to Deadly Outcome in Crans-Montana Bar Fire

The catastrophic fire that erupted shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026, at Le Constellation bar in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana has left 40 people dead and 116 injured, many with life-altering severe burns. The tragedy, one of the deadliest in modern Swiss history, has prompted intense scrutiny of the venue’s fire safety measures, building layout, and emergency egress provisions. Among the emerging questions now under active consideration by investigators is whether emergency exit signage — including illuminated signs intended to guide occupants to safety — may have been misleading, poorly placed, insufficiently visible, or even deceptive in the chaotic, smoke-filled basement environment.

While no official report has confirmed that victims were specifically found lying directly beneath a functioning emergency exit sign, survivor accounts, forensic evidence, and statements gathered during the investigation have raised serious concerns about the visibility, placement, and effectiveness of escape route indicators in the venue. Several witnesses interviewed by authorities and quoted in Swiss media outlets (including RTS and Bluewin reports) stated that they did not notice any emergency exits or corresponding green illuminated signs in the basement area where the majority of patrons were gathered. This absence of clear directional guidance is now being examined as a potential contributing factor to the rapid development of a fatal crowd crush at the main staircase — the most visible and apparently only immediately obvious exit route for many people.

Here are stark images from the aftermath of the Le Constellation fire, illustrating the devastated venue and the memorial tributes that have emerged:

This photograph shows the charred exterior of Le Constellation the morning after the blaze, with investigators examining the structure and potential egress points.

Another view captures the building cordoned off, surrounded by flowers, candles, and messages from grieving families and community members.

The fire began at approximately 1:26 a.m. CET in the basement nightclub level when sparks from champagne bottles topped with sparklers (held aloft during a festive New Year’s ritual) ignited highly flammable soundproofing foam on the low ceiling. The material allowed the flames to spread with terrifying speed, triggering a flashover that filled the space with intense heat, thick black smoke, and toxic fumes within seconds. Panic ensued as hundreds of young revelers — many teenagers celebrating the holiday — struggled to escape through a narrow staircase leading to the ground floor. Witnesses described a deadly bottleneck: people piling up, trampling one another, and succumbing to smoke inhalation before flames reached them.

Officials from the Valais canton have confirmed the venue possessed more than one exit, including an emergency door in the basement. However, they have repeatedly stated they are “not currently able to say” whether that secondary emergency exit was open, accessible, or blocked during the incident. This uncertainty is at the heart of the ongoing probe.

Here are additional images highlighting the blocked or obstructed exit controversy and the human cost of the tragedy:

This close-up focuses on the area around the ground-floor service door, which became a focal point after reports that it was found locked from the inside.

A memorial wall outside the bar, covered in photos of victims and demands for answers regarding safety failures.

Multiple survivor statements and former staff accounts have alleged that the basement emergency exit was habitually locked or blocked during normal operations — sometimes to prevent non-paying guests from entering or leaving without settling tabs. One former bartender told German newspaper Bild that the secondary door “was always locked” during his visits. The mother of victim Cyane Panine (the 24-year-old waitress filmed holding sparklers moments before the ignition) has publicly claimed her daughter — who knew the venue well — was found in front of that blocked emergency exit.

Adding to the concern is the question of signage. Investigative files accessed by RTS indicate that several guests told authorities they did not see any green emergency exit signs or markings in the basement. In smoke-filled, low-visibility conditions — where visibility can drop to near zero within moments — properly placed, illuminated, low-level, and directional exit signage is critical under international fire safety standards (including Swiss norms aligned with European directives). If signs were absent, obstructed, inadequately illuminated, or directed toward a non-functional or blocked path, they could theoretically mislead panicked occupants toward dead ends or secondary hazards rather than viable escape routes.

Here are evocative images from national memorials and the community’s response to the tragedy:

This photograph shows mourners at a silent vigil in Crans-Montana, holding candles and signs calling for justice and improved safety regulations.

Another scene from a tribute gathering, with large crowds honoring the 40 victims and supporting injured survivors.

The broader investigation has uncovered systemic issues that likely compounded any signage or exit problems:

No mandatory fire safety inspections had been conducted at Le Constellation since 2019, despite local regulations requiring annual checks for public assembly venues.
The main exit door reportedly opened inward (contrary to best practices for crowd egress in emergencies).
The basement layout featured a narrow staircase as the primary visible escape path, creating a single point of failure once congestion occurred.
The venue’s maximum capacity (reportedly around 200 people) and emergency exit provisions were designed for lower occupant loads, raising questions about overcrowding during peak holiday events.

Prosecutors have placed co-owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti under investigation for suspected offenses including homicide by negligence and negligent bodily harm. Jacques Moretti has admitted to discovering a service door locked from the inside upon arrival and forcing it open, but he denies prior knowledge of any intentional blocking. He and his wife have expressed profound remorse and are cooperating with authorities.

Here are more visuals illustrating the scale of loss and the call for change:

This image depicts a candlelight vigil with portraits of the young victims, many teenagers who had gathered for New Year’s celebrations.

A powerful shot of the national minute of silence observed across Switzerland, underscoring the collective grief and demand for accountability.

The possibility that illuminated emergency signage — intended as a beacon of safety — may have instead contributed to confusion or false direction remains hypothetical at this stage. No final report has confirmed victims were discovered directly beneath a functioning sign pointing to a blocked or non-existent path. However, the combination of poor visibility, absent or ineffective markings, and disputed exit accessibility has led investigators to re-examine the entire egress system design as part of the root-cause analysis.

Fire safety experts and legal representatives for victims’ families have called the disaster “avoidable,” pointing to parallels with past nightclub tragedies (such as The Station nightclub fire in 2003). They argue that even minor deficiencies in signage, combined with rapid smoke accumulation and structural layout flaws, can turn a manageable incident into a catastrophe.

As forensic teams continue their work and the Valais prosecutor’s office reconstructs the timeline, the question of whether emergency signage “deceived” desperate patrons by guiding them toward danger instead of safety will likely feature prominently. The answer could significantly influence the final determination of negligence and potential reforms to Switzerland’s decentralized fire safety oversight system.

In the meantime, Crans-Montana — a resort known for luxury and safety — mourns a lost generation while the nation demands answers. The illuminated signs that should have offered hope may instead symbolize one of the most heartbreaking failures of that fateful night.