Swiss officials admit inspections failure at inferno bar

Fire safety inspections not carried out for past five years

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Swiss authorities admitted yesterday that fire safety inspections had not been carried out for the past five years at a bar where 40 people died in a New Year blaze.

The inferno at Le Constellation in the Swiss Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwest left 116 people wounded, of whom 83 are still in various hospitals. Most of those killed were teenagers.

Prosecutors have said they believe the fire started when people celebrating the New Year raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached, setting light to sound-insulating foam on the ceiling of the basement bar.