Memories of Kaprun: Why the Crans-Montana verdict may disappoint many

Public expectations of harsh sentences following the deadly fire in Crans-Montana are high, fuelled in part by intense media attention. Yet legal experts warn that the eventual verdict is likely to disappoint many. The case evokes memories of the 2000 fire in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun. The shock caused by the tragedy in Crans-Montana remains profound. In its aftermath, calls for tough punishment have grown louder. Some voices have demanded charges of intentional homicide. On social media, emotions have run high: under a Facebook post by a parliamentarian from southern Switzerland, an Italian journalist wrote, “You are shameful – accomplices of murderers.” The Kaprun disaster In 2000, a fire broke out on a mountain railway in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun, killing 155 people. The so-called chimney effect drew fire and toxic fumes upwards through the tunnel. As a result, only the 12 passengers who had travelled down the tunnel survived. The fire was caused by a household ...