Table of Contents
- Searching for Missing Children
- Details of the Tragic Fire
- Community Response
- Victim Identification Efforts
DESPERATE families are searching for their children who remain unaccounted for following a tragic fire that swept through a nightclub in a Swiss ski resort.
Officials have confirmed that teenagers are among the 47 fatalities and 115 injuries reported in Crans-Montana. .
People place flowers and light candles in remembrance of the fire victims at the “Le Constellation” barCredit: AP
Young people mourn their friendsCredit: Reuters
A firefighter places a candleCredit: AP
It is believed that over 200 young individuals celebrating the New Year were packed into Le Constellation, an upscale bar at the popular ski destination, when the disaster struck.
Many people fled up a narrow staircase, while others broke windows with furniture to escape, suffering severe burns in the process.
Petrified New Year’s Eve partygoers were “screaming and running” for their lives as the fire ravaged the venue.
Survivors, some as young as 15, have been transported to hospitals across Switzerland, as well as in France, Germany, and Belgium.
Valais hospital enacted its disaster response plan, treating 60 of the injured, many of whom suffered third-degree burns.
A helpline for victims and their families has been established to manage the flow of information.
The mother of 16-year-old Giovanni Tamburi from Bologna is among many parents seeking news about her son’s condition.
“We are contacting all hospitals, but no one has any information, especially since the patients are in critical condition,” she told La Repubblica.
Friends and family members have turned to social media in a desperate attempt to find their loved ones amid the chaos of this tragic event.
One Facebook post stated: “My 15-year-old sister is missing. We haven’t heard anything since the fire at the bar in Crans-Montana.”
Another plea read: “If you saw him after 1:30 am or know where he was taken, please reach out. Three of his friends are also missing.”
Experts are utilizing dental and DNA records to identify the deceased, but the severity of the burns is prolonging the identification process, according to a European official.
Approximately 400 people gathered to mourn the victims of the devastating fire on Thursday evening.
A church service in Crans-Montana was held to honor the victims, and later, hundreds more gathered quietly in the frigid night to lay flowers and light candles at the site of the tragedy.
Many of those present, standing silently, knew individuals who are still unaccounted for or were severely injured.
Conversations were scarce, with whispers filling the air. The only sound came from a generator humming beside the temporary white tents set up outside the bar.
“I wasn’t there, but I have many friends and relatives who were,” said a young mourner named Orosstevic.
“Some have died, others are in the hospital. About 10,” he informed AFP.
Center of Crans-Montana in the Swiss AlpsCredit: alamy
“They’re mostly friends of my parents, but I know them very well.”
Orosstevic mentioned he had brought flowers to lay down “as a small tribute.”
Nearby, groups of friends
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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