Swiss Bar Owners Blame ‘Waitress In Helmet’ For Inferno That Killed 40 On New Year’s Eve

The owners of the Swiss bar in which 40 people died in a New Year’s Eve fire have blamed a young waitress who died that night for starting the blaze.

Cyane Panine, 24, was one of 40 victims who perished in the fire, but according to Jacques Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica Moretti, 40, was also to blame to starting it.

The Morettis are currently under judicial supervision and being questioned by prosecutors, and leaked interview records show them saying, “It’s not us, it’s the others”, according to The Parisien.

The couple blame waitress Cyane for getting on the shoulders of a colleague while holding two champagne bottles with lit sparklers inside.

As Cyane was wearing a promotional crash helmet, she did not see the pyrotechnics light up the bar’s basement ceiling, which was covered in highly flammable foam.

Referring to the champagne sparklers stunt – Jacques Moretti told the enquiry that it was “Cyane’s show”.

He said: “I didn’t forbid her from doing that. I didn’t make her pay attention to safety instructions. We didn’t see the danger. Cyane liked doing that – it was a show, she liked to be part of the show.”

Jessica Moretti added: “Cyane liked to deliver these bottles – she did it of her own accord.

“If I had thought there was the slightest risk, I would have forbidden it. In ten years of running the business, I never thought there could be any danger.”

Unfortunately for the Morettis, both Cyane’s family and witnesses at the Constellation bar that night say otherwise.

They say it was Jessica Moretti, the manager on the night, who sent Cyane out with the bottles, and encouraged her to perform the stunt using a helmet provided by Dom Perignon. She told her to ‘get the atmosphere going.’

CCTV also shows Jessica Moretti escaping from the NYE fire with the cash register under her arm and driving home.

Regarding fire safety, Jacques Moretti told the enquiry: “There was no training, but employees were told what steps to take in case of fire when they were shown around the premises.

“Evacuate the customers, raise the alarm, and call the fire department. And of course, if they had time, use the fire extinguishers to put out the fire.”

When informed that one employee had told the enquiry that he had no idea where the extinguishers were kept, Jacques Moretti replied: “The staff has several shifts, and maybe I forgot to give this information to [that particular employee], but it was going to be passed on at some point. Maybe I forgot.”

Both Morettis also blame an unidentified staff member for locking an escape door in the basement.

Jessica Moretti said: “The door was always open. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder why that door was closed that night. We always said that the door was always open, and it was taken for granted.”

Jacques added: “After the tragedy, we learned that an employee delivered ice cubes to the Constellation and, without understanding why, closed the latch at the top of the door.”

When contacted by the Parisien, the staff member in question denied this, saying: “I didn’t close a door that was already locked.”

Both Morettis face trial for “manslaughter by negligence, causing injury by negligence, and causing arson by negligence” in relation to the 40 deaths, and the severe burning of 116 others.

I guess the only thing the Morettis are concerned with at this point is saving their own skin, especially with young children at home, as nothing can undo the tragedy and bring back the victims. Even still, it’s pretty low to blame the waitress who died in the fire and isn’t around to give her side of the story.

In any case, it was their responsibility to ensure the soundproof ceiling was fireproof. In fact – the bar had not undergone a fire safety inspection for five years – since 2019.

Here’s hoping justice is done in the end…

For the student who caused a fire while trying to hide his ‘inflatable girlfriend’ from his roommate, click HERE.