Swiss authorities have initiated a criminal probe into the management of a ski resort bar in France after a tragic fire on New Year’s Eve claimed the lives of at least 40 individuals.

On Saturday, the police revealed that a criminal case was opened the previous night against Jacques Moretti, aged 49, and his wife Jessica, aged 40.

The couple faces charges of negligent manslaughter, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson.

For the first time since the incident, the couple was seen publicly on Saturday near their other restaurant, Le Vieux Chalet. When approached by reporters from the Mail outside their residence in Lens, near Crans-Montana where the fire took place, they remained silent.

The fire erupted at the Le Constellation bar in the Alpine town around 1:30 am local time (12:30 am GMT) on Thursday, resulting in at least 40 fatalities and injuring 119 others.

Police identified four victims of the tragedy earlier today as two Swiss women, aged 16 and 21, and two Swiss men, aged 16 and 18.

Further details including their names have not yet been released, but Valais canton police said their bodies have been returned to their families as efforts continue to identify the other victims.

Emmanuele Galeppini, 17, was the first victim to be identified after his death was confirmed in an Instagram post by the Italian Golf Federation on Friday. 

Jacques Moretti who is one of the owners a ski resort bar where at least 40 people were killed in a devastating fire is seen near his Le Vieux Chalet restaurant

Mr Moretti, 49, broke cover on Saturday after the charges against he and his wife were brought

A skier passes candles near the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, where at least 40 people were killed in a devastating fire during New Year’s Eve celebrations

The entrance of the bar Le Constellation where a fire ripped through the venue during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana

Swiss officials described the blaze as a likely flashover, meaning that it triggered the release of combustible gases that can ignite violently.

Much suspicion has already focussed on the dimpled foam acoustic insulation which covered the ceiling of the basement bar and appeared to ignite from a sparkler held aloft on a Champagne bottle, then spread with terrifying ferocity. 

Witnesses described the ensuing panic as revellerts tried to escape from the nightclub area in the basement, up a flight of stairs and through a narrow door, causing a crowd surge. 

Parents of missing youths have issued desperate pleas for news of ​their children, as foreign embassies scramble to work out if their nationals were among ​those caught up in one of the worst tragedies to befall modern Switzerland.

Police commander Frédéric Gisler said all bar six of the 119 injured have been formally identified, but Swiss officials are yet to share the names of any victims or injured. 

The injured included 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French and 11 Italians, along with citizens of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland, according to Frédéric Gisler, police commander of the Valais region. 

The nationalities of 14 people were still unclear.

Six Italians are still missing and 13 hospitalised, while eight French people are missing and another nine are among the injured. 

Emmanuele Galeppini, 17, was the first victim to be identified after his death was confirmed in an Instagram post by the Italian Golf Federation on Friday 

A photo appears to show the moment champagne sparklers set fire to material on the ceiling of the Swiss nightclub

Emmanuele is the only victim to have been named following the deadly fire, with the Italian Golf Federation paying tribute to the teen as a ‘young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values’. 

The Italian teenager, who was based in Dubai, was a member of the Italian national team and his best rank was 2440th, and was well known in the UAE junior and amateur golfing scene, according to GolfDigestme.com.

He was pictured with golfing legend Rory McIlroy last year and was widely regarded as a promising young talent, competing regularly across the Middle East and Europe. 

British-educated teenager Charlotte Neddam, who previously attended Immanuel College – a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire – is also among those missing.