At the Crans-Montani ski resort in Switzerland, at least 40 people lost their lives in a fire on New Year’s Day, while 119 people were injured. One of them is Danijel Janjić, a 20-year-old young man who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and grew up in Switzerland.
Janjić suffered severe burns on his cheeks, forehead, nose and ears, and his hands were wrapped in layers of bandages.
The doctors assured him that, with time and surgery, the burns would heal. However, the painful trauma will remain forever.
“I will be marked for the rest of my life,” said Janjić from his hospital bed in Sion, a town in the valley, about 25 km from Crans-Montana, a ski resort in the south of Switzerland.
Two managers of the “Le Constellation” facility are under criminal investigation on suspicion of negligence, while officials are trying to determine whether any lapses in construction and management of the facility contributed to the tragedy.
Swiss police said investigators believe the fire was started by small fireworks in the basement of the bar. Witnesses and footage indicate fireworks were placed on bottles, creating sparks that ignited foam insulation covering parts of the ceiling.
“Initial witness statements describe a fire that spread very quickly, with a lot of smoke and intense heat,” the police said.
Janjic said that the fire blew through the basement of the bar while he was running away and raised his hands to protect his face. Now he can barely move his fingers. Parts of his back and buttocks were also burned, he added.
In the chaos of that night, it was several hours before he was given painkillers at the hospital. Janjić was born in BiH and grew up in Switzerland.
Many residents of Crans-Montana were still in shock yesterday as the identities of the new victims were gradually released.
Investigators have identified all the victims, police said, but their names have not been released publicly. Most of the victims were teenagers. The youngest victim was a fourteen-year-old girl from Switzerland.
For many in Crans-Montana, life will never be the same, the New York Times reports.
(TYPE/Source: Fena/Photo: X)
