Switzerland ‘devastated’ by fire tragedy: President

MARTIGNY, Switzerland – Switzerland has been left “devastated” by the

that killed 40 people, mostly teenagers, as they celebrated New Year, President Guy Parmelin said on Jan 9 at a national service of remembrance.

“Our country is devastated by this tragedy. We honour the memory of those who were lost, and we stand beside those now facing a long journey of recovery,” he said at the ceremony in Martigny, south-west Switzerland.

“Hope offers the resilience needed to face our grief, providing a sure remedy, but one which comes in its own time. Hope also depends on our justice system’s ability to bring failures to light and to impose consequences without delay or leniency.

“This is a moral responsibility as well as a duty of the state,” he added. AFP

SwitzerlandFiresFire safety rulesBars and clubs