A devastating fire at a popular Swiss ski resort bar on New Year's Eve has now claimed the lives of around 40 people, with a further 119 injured, as authorities begin to officially name the first victims. The tragedy unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a resort in the Valais canton.
First Official Victims Confirmed
Valais cantonal police confirmed this morning that four Swiss nationals have been formally identified among the dead. The victims are two women, aged 21 and 16, and two men, aged 18 and 16. Their bodies have been returned to their families. A police spokesperson stated that the painstaking work to identify further victims is ongoing.
This official confirmation follows the earlier reported death of Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old Italian golfer. The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to the "young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values." The teenager, who lived in Dubai, was holidaying with his family and had visited the bar with two friends to celebrate the new year.
Families' Desperate Search for the Missing
As the death toll rises, frantic families continue to appeal for information about loved ones who remain unaccounted for. Many have taken to social media in a desperate bid for news.
Charlotte Niddam, 15, a former pupil of Immanuel College in Bushey, Hertfordshire, is among those missing. Her former school said it was "praying for a miracle" for her.
The mother of Arthur Brodard, 16, Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, told French media she had been searching hospitals and morgues for over 30 hours without any information. "My son is alone in a hospital, if he’s alive. Even if he’s in a morgue... I can’t be by his side," she said.
Other missing young people include sisters Alicia and Diana Gonset (15 and 14), Greek-Swiss resident Alice Kallergis, 15, French national Emilie Pralong, 22, Italian Giovanni Tamburi, 16, and Macedonian national Stiven Ivanovski.
The Night of the Blaze
The fire broke out at around 1:30am on Thursday, 1st January, inside the Le Constellation bar. Witnesses and initial reports suggest the inferno was sparked by sparklers mounted on champagne bottles. Shocking footage posted online showed flames spreading rapidly across the ceiling, forcing patrons to flee for their lives, with some escaping by smashing windows.
The scale of the injury toll is vast. Of the 119 people injured, many were taken to hospital in critical condition. The nationalities of the injured reflect the international clientele of the resort:
- 71 people from Switzerland
- 14 people from France
- 11 people from Italy
- 4 people from Serbia
- 1 person each from Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Poland
Investigations into the exact cause of the fire and the safety protocols at the venue are now underway. The community of Crans-Montana and nations across Europe are united in grief as the full, horrifying extent of this New Year's tragedy becomes clear.
