Image source, MAXIME SCHMID / AFP via Getty Images

The mayor of Crans-Montana has announced to the media that the bar where a deadly fire during New Year's celebrations killed 40 people had not had any safety inspections, checks or audits for five years - despite officials usually reviewing venues in the region for fire risks each year.

"We regret that - we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility."

Nicolas Feraud told reporters the council wanted to be "immediately" transparent with its investigation, but that he would not resign.

He said officials are now looking into what happened and that will include a full audit of all venues in the area.

The mayor also announced that all kinds of sparklers were now banned in local venues, calling the move a "no brainer", after authorities said they believe the fire started when sparklers were held too close to the ceiling, which was covered in foam sound-proofing panels.

That's it for our live coverage - read the latest in our news story.

Image source, Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images

The mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, answered a series of questions at the news conference. Here are some of the key points:

• Sound-proofing panels on the bar's ceiling which apparently caught fire had not been tested for fire safety
• Feraud apologised "profusely" for the fact that the venue hadn't had any safety checks or inspections for five years, but said he would not resign

• He said it would be "down to the judges" to decide if the council would be part of a criminal investigation into the incident
• The mayor said he would "remember that night and the sadness of all those families forever"

The mayor has been facing some tough questions from reporters, including one who criticised the council for claiming to also be victims of the disaster, but "you failed to do the checks, you failed in your responsibility".

As the session draws to a close, he says: "This week has been very hard personally".

"I will remember that night and the sadness of all those families forever."

The officials say they checked the noise levels at the bar when the owners asked to extend their hours, but never “looked at the state of the foam panels and whether they were fire-proof.”

As pictures from inside Le Constellation show, the ceiling was covered in foam sound-proofing panels, which apparently caught alight from sparklers that were being held too close.

Feraud says officials would have "acted immediately" had they been made aware of any safety concerns.

"I would have much preferred these people come and shout at my door and say this is a question of 'not if but when'", he tells reporters.

"It is very easy to come and cry and scream now at us but how about before?"

Feraud says that it is down to the owners of the bar to know whether there are too many people in the venue.

"It is down to the managers of Le Constellation to know whether they are within the regulations," he says.

He repeats that it is "down to the judges" to determine who is responsible.

As a reminder: Swiss prosecutors have placed the two bar managers under criminal investigation. They are a French couple who have been named in local media as Jacques and Jessica Moretti, and are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

The city councillors are now taking questions from reporters.

Mayor Feraud says it will be "down to the judges to know whether we’ll be part of this case or not", referring to the criminal investigation that has been opened by Swiss prosecutors.

He adds that "the city of Crans-Montana, we believe we are also a victim in this case".

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

"I'm not resigning, no, and I don't want to," the mayor tells those gathered at the news conference - which you can still watch live at the top of the page.

Nicolas Feraud says he and his officials were elected by the people of Crans-Montana and "we're not departing the ship right now", adding they have to be there to help residents.

Feraud is now taking questions, and is asked about the fact that the bar had not been checked in five years.

"I have no answer for you today," he says.

"We’re profoundly sorry about that and I know how hard that will be for the families."

Continuing to address reporters, the leader of the local area says it's a "no brainer" to ban all kinds of sparklers from local venues.

As a reminder: Authorities have said that the fire was likely started by sparklers that were too close to the ceiling.

Image source, Getty Images

Feraud says this information has been presented to the government.

"We regret that - we owe it to the families and we will accept the responsibility."

He says that there is a team of just five people who do "immense work" and carry out checks in the area, looking after more than 10,000 buildings, including restaurants and hotels.

The mayor says the council "immediately" wanted to be transparent when they realised that the bar had not been checked for five years.

They are looking at why this happened, which will include a full audit of all venues in the area and ensure more checks are carried out.

Le Constellation bar had not had any safety checks, investigations or auditing for five years, the mayor says.

Officials now move onto Le Constellation, saying the building was built in 1977, and in 2015 the owner asked to extend the venue to include an outdoor, covered terrace, which was granted.

Once that work was completed, inspectors went in to assess it - but they focused on the outside area, not what had been changed inside.

Crans-Montana’s mayor, Nicolas Feraud, is going through a few points of local laws and explaining that each year, council officials carry out a review of establishments such as bars and assess which areas can catch fire, including kitchens.

They also look at whether items such as fire extinguishers are maintained.

He adds that the law does not include looking at noise cancellation materials on the ceiling and it will be down to the law to decide whether this should have been looked at.

City council officials say they are working with the management of Le Constellation bar to understand exactly what happened, and how.

They say the council is not responsible for deciding who is at fault for the fire - that will be down to the authorities.

But they want to show "full transparency... because we owe it to the victims and their families".

Image source, Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images

Swiss officials have started giving an update on their investigation into the fire at Le Constellation bar on New Year's Eve.

We'll bring you the latest lines here.

Forty people were killed 116 injured when a fire ripped through a popular bar in a Swiss ski resort in the early hours of New Year's Day.

The bar, Le Constellation in the resort of Crans-Montana, was full of people ringing in the New Year, when the blaze began in the basement area.

The victims range in age from 14 to 39 years old.

A criminal investigation has been launched into the French couple who managed the bar - a venue known to be popular with a younger crowd in the ski resort town, where the drinking age is 16.

Sparklers on bottles being carried too close to the ceiling were the likely cause of the fire, a preliminary investigation has found.

Officials in Switzerland are about to hold a news conference on the devastating New Year’s fire that killed 40 people and left 116 injured in Crans-Montana.

You will be able to watch it live by pressing play at the top of this page.

And we’ll bring you the latest lines here.