- The high hospital bills after the fire disaster in Crans-Montana are putting a strain on the families of the Italian victims.
- Father Umberto Marcucci criticizes the fact that the Valais authorities are demanding that the injured students repeat the school year.
- He blames the Moretti couple and the local authorities for the tragedy on New Year’s Eve.
The high hospital bills for Italian victims of the Crans-Montana fire disaster deeply unsettling the affected families. “Switzerland shows little compassion,” says the father of 16-year-old Manfredi Marcucci. This is particularly evident in the fact that – as Umberto Marcucci explains to the “Corriere della Sera” – the Valais authorities demanded that the affected students repeat the school year.
When asked how he was feeling, the father replied: “It’s all very unpleasant and inappropriate.” In his opinion, Switzerland and its health system should not demand reimbursement from Italy. Rather, those who caused the disaster should be held responsible and must cover the treatment costs for the injured in Niguarda Hospital.
Who should pay the bills?
For Umberto Marcucci it is clear that the Moretti couple bear the main responsibility for the tragedy on New Year’s Eve in Crans-Montana. “But the local authorities, who failed to carry out the necessary controls, are also partly to blame – starting with the mayor, who is still in office.»
The relatives would now be forced to “argue with Switzerland over money” instead of being able to concentrate on caring for the injured. Marcucci also recognizes cultural differences between Switzerland and Italy in the financial demands. «It seems as if the Swiss authorities are approaching the situation with a certain passive acceptance of what has happened and now needs to be done. In comparison, we seem like we’re from another planet.”
Finally, Umberto Marcucci emphasizes that the Swiss lacked compassion “from the beginning”. “The families are stunned.” While the children were still in the hospital, they had already been informed that they had lost the school year because of their absences. “They were in the hospital – it wasn’t their fault! And even more shocking were the comments from some users on social media who even thought this was fair because otherwise it would be unfair to the other students who attended the class. This is completely absurd.”
Fire in Crans-Montana claims at least 41 lives
The fire in a bar in Crans-Montana claimed at least 41 lives on New Year’s Eve. Here you will find current articles, background information and eyewitness reports on the fire disaster in Valais.
Karin Leuthold (kle), born in 1968, has been working for 20 Minutes since 2005 and is currently working at the news desk.
