The BBC is reporting this morning, January 5, 2025, that Swiss officials have identified the 40 deceased victims of the New Year’s Eve bar fire that swept through a bar in the town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland, near the Crans-Montana Ski Resort, which is owned by Colorado-based Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN). The company also owns and manages Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Stowe, and 32 resorts across North America; Andermatt-Sedrun in Switzerland; and Perisher, Hotham, and Falls Creek in Australia. Vail Resorts closed on the Crans-Montana ski resort acquisition in early May 2024.

The company confirmed for SGB Media that the bar where the fire occurred is in the town of Crans-Montana but is not part of the ski resort owned by Vail Resorts.

New questions have arisen, due to the age of some of the victims, with 15 being under the age of 18. The victims reportedly ranged in age from 14 (a Swiss girl and a French boy) to 39 years old. The BBC said the victims were of Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Portuguese, French, and Belgian nationalities, as well as a citizen from the U.K., France and Israel.

In addition to the 40 people who perished in the fire, 119 others were injured, with most having severe burns. The BBC reported that six of those persons had burns so severe that they have yet to be identified.

The BBC reported that a criminal investigation is underway into the French couple who managed the bar, which is called Le Constellation, but have not made public the name of the bar ownership.

John Plack, senior director of communications, Destination and Europe, for Vail Resorts, Inc., told SGB Media via email that Pete Petrovski, the managing director for Crans-Montana Ski Resort, has the company’s full support.

“He is leading the company’s engagement with local authorities and is standing ready to support as appropriate,” Plack said.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Crans-Montana,” Petrovski commented. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We are focused on caring for our employees, community and guests at this time. We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to support their efforts in any appropriate way.”

Image courtesy Crans-Montana Ski Resort/Facebook