Swiss banking analyst rescues 10 youths from New Year’s Eve club fire

A 55-year-old banking analyst became a hero in minutes after he rushed into a burning bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and saved at least ten young people by breaking open a side emergency exit.

Paolo Campolo, a Swiss-Italian financial analyst, was at home just 50 metres from the Le Constellation club when his minor daughter called him in a panic. Although she had not yet entered the venue, she told him her friends were trapped inside.

Without hesitation, Campolo ran to the club, a popular spot for youths in Crans-Montana, where hundreds of people were celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Fire and smoke engulfed the basement venue in seconds, causing panic and one of the deadliest fires in Switzerland in recent years.

Although fire services were already at the scene and the flames had begun to subside, dozens of people remained trapped because the single main exit corridor was blocked by crowds frantically trying to escape.

Campolo noticed a side door away from the main entrance. He and another man applied force and managed to open it. He later described seeing “hands and faces” immediately behind the door as people began pouring out.

Videos circulated on social media show a man violently opening a door, out of which a young woman in shock immediately emerged. It has not been confirmed if this was Campolo, but the footage captures the critical moments of the rescue, the article stated.

Speaking from the hospital where he is recovering from smoke inhalation, Campolo described the scene inside to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

“There were bodies everywhere. People alive, but badly injured. Others were conscious, others not. They were asking for help in many languages. They were very young,” he said.

Since the Le Constellation club was particularly popular with teenagers and young adults, many of the victims are minors.

Heavy casualty count

Campolo stressed that in those moments, he never thought about the pain or the danger. “I pulled the children out with my bare hands. One by one. They were alive, but many were seriously injured,” he reported.

When asked what image would haunt him the most, he replied: “The looks. The pure despair of those who know they are dying. Burnt people who look at you and ask you not to leave them there. That never leaves.”

Campolo’s daughter was saved because she had not yet entered the club. However, her partner is in critical condition at a Basel hospital. Campolo himself is recovering at a hospital in Sion.

Authorities said at least 40 people died and 119 were injured, 80 of them seriously. The injured include 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French, and 11 Italians, along with citizens from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland. The nationality of 14 victims has not yet been determined.

Authorities warned that identifying the dead and some of the injured would take time due to their condition.

Among the missing is 15-year-old Charlotte Needham, a student who had attended schools in Britain and occasionally worked as a babysitter at the resort.

Investigation into fireworks

Investigators believe the fire most likely started from sparkler candles placed on Champagne bottles. These candles, which shoot sparks upwards, appear to have ignited the foam sound insulation on the club’s ceiling, according to the article.

Authorities are investigating whether the ceiling materials met specifications, whether the use of such candles was permitted in the venue, and the adequacy of the emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and maximum capacity. Criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter, are not ruled out.

The French couple who own the club, Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica, broke their silence, saying they “can neither sleep nor eat.” Jessica Moretti was at the club during the fire and sustained burns to her hand.

Jacques Moretti maintained the club had been checked three times in the last decade and that “everything was according to regulations,” stressing they are fully cooperating with authorities.

Shocking videos show patrons continuing to dance as the fire spread across the ceiling, losing valuable seconds to escape. In one video, young people sing, unaware of the growing flames above their heads.

Nineteen-year-old student Ferdinand Di Boantier managed to get out but returned to the club twice to save his brother and friend. He described seeing waitresses carrying Champagne bottles with lit sparkler candles, one of which set the ceiling alight. Despite his attempts to put out the fire with water, the situation quickly spiralled out of control, he reported.

His brother is in a coma but is expected to recover, according to the student.

The tragedy in Crans-Montana has plunged Switzerland and Europe into mourning.