France, Jan. 9 -- "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, southwest Switzerland's Wallis canton.

The Alpine country held a nationwide minute of silence, after which church bells rang across the country for five minutes in honour of those killed in the inferno, which engulfed the basement of Le Constellation, a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.

"The start of 2026 should have brought the familiar hopes and promises- a new year with a fresh start. For young people especially, such promises take flight on dreams and the rightful hopes of youth- promises destined for the skies that fell...