Who is Cyane Panine? Waitress Who Allegedly Started Swiss Bar Fire Was 'Following Employer's Orders'

French waitress Cyane Panine, 24, has been confirmed among the 40 people killed in a devastating New Year's Eve fire at a Swiss mountain bar, as investigators examine claims that she was acting on her employer's instructions when the blaze broke out. Authorities are focusing on the use of sparklers inside the venue and whether safety failures and management decisions contributed to one of Switzerland's deadliest nightclub fires in decades.

New Year's Eve Fire Leaves 40 Dead

The fire erupted shortly after midnight at Le Constellation, a basement bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana. Flames spread rapidly after the ceiling caught fire, triggering panic among hundreds of revellers gathered to celebrate the arrival of 2026. Emergency services later confirmed that 40 people died and more than 100 were injured, many with serious burns and smoke inhalation.

Investigators say the evacuation was hampered by the venue's layout. Official findings indicate that 34 of the victims died on a single staircase leading up from the basement, creating a fatal bottleneck as people attempted to escape.

Who Was Cyane Panine?

Panine was a French national working as a waitress at Le Constellation during the busy holiday season. Bar owners have said she was close to their family and described her as 'like a stepdaughter'. According to statements provided to investigators, Panine had spent Christmas with the owners just days before the fatal fire.

Her death was reported earlier this month, but subsequent interrogation transcripts cited by Swiss media Tages-Anzeiger identified her as the staff member believed to have been holding sparklers shortly before the blaze began.

Sparklers and Employer Instructions

Investigators are examining evidence suggesting Panine was carrying two lit sparklers while seated on a colleague's shoulders, an act reportedly intended to energise the venue at the start of a quiet evening. Accounts provided to the police state that she had been encouraged to 'get the atmosphere going.'

Panine's family, speaking through lawyers, have stressed that she was following management's instructions. They have said that whatever the investigation ultimately reveals, she bears no responsibility and was carrying out a task requested by her employer.

Owners' Account of Events

Bar owner Jacques Moretti has told investigators that the venue had used bottle sparklers for around a decade without previous incidents. While staff did not regularly sit on colleagues' shoulders, he acknowledged that it had happened before, including on earlier New Year's Eve celebrations.

Moretti said the bar was initially quiet around midnight and that efforts were made to liven up the atmosphere. He has also described discovering a locked service door during the chaos and later finding several bodies behind it.

Escape Routes and Rescue Attempts

According to statements given to authorities, Panine became trapped behind a service door that was locked from the inside. Moretti has said she suffocated as smoke filled the area. He told investigators that he and Panine's boyfriend attempted to resuscitate her outside the bar for more than an hour before paramedics confirmed her death.

Investigators are assessing whether locked or obstructed exits played a critical role in the high death toll.

Criminal Investigation Ongoing

Jacques Moretti is currently in custody and faces charges including manslaughter by negligence. A court has deemed him a flight risk and ordered that he remain detained ahead of a trial scheduled for March. Co-owner Jessica Moretti is also under investigation amid allegations she left the scene with the bar's cash register.

Authorities continue to examine safety procedures, management decisions and compliance with fire regulations as they work to establish accountability for the tragedy.