The last of 12 Italian patients treated for severe burns from the Crans-Montana bar fire has been discharged from Milan's Niguarda Hospital, concluding a 224-day medical effort following the New Year's Eve blaze that killed 41 people and injured 115 at the Le Constellation bar in Switzerland.
The final patient, a 17-year-old girl named Francesca, left the burns unit on Thursday. All 12 Italians treated in Milan — 10 of them minors — have now returned home. Lombardy welfare official Guido Bertolaso declared the treatment mission complete, noting the patience and resilience the young patients will continue to need.
The medical response was extensive: more than 50 surgical procedures were performed, over 25,000 square centimetres of skin were supplied by a tissue bank for grafts, and each patient required at least 30 sedated dressings. The fire was triggered by champagne bottle sparklers that ignited the bar's ceiling. Valais prosecutors are investigating 15 people, including the venue's operators, on charges of negligent homicide, bodily harm, and arson.