CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland
Hundreds of mourners marched in silence Sunday to honor the victims of a New Year’s Eve fire that killed 40 people and left many severely injured at a bar in this Swiss Alpine resort town.
The somber procession began after a memorial Mass at Chapelle Saint-Christophe, where mourners, many with reddened eyes, filed out to the sound of an organ.
After exchanging hugs and gentle applause, they moved up the hillside toward the charred remains of Le Constellation bar.
Hundreds more joined the silent march under bright winter sun, cradling flowers as they walked past shuttered shops.
Above the town, snow machines sent plumes of white flakes into the sky—a stark contrast to the quiet grief below.
At the top of the street, the crowd gathered before the bar, now hidden behind white screens. For a moment, they stood in near-total stillness, some weeping.
Then, the silence broke into sustained applause as mourners stepped forward, laying bouquets atop a growing makeshift memorial of flowers, plush toys, and handwritten notes.
By James Kisoo
