'Enduring a Horrific Ordeal': Relatives of Unaccounted For Young People Desperately Seek News After Ski Resort Blaze
The families of teenagers unaccounted for after a deadly fire at a bar in a Switzerland's ski resort are confronting an painful period of uncertainty for official news and appealing for clues about their family members via social media.
The fire devastated the Le Constellation bar in the alpine resort, located in the Alps of the Valais region, in the small hours of the first day of the year. Verified video reveal the roof structure catching alight as beverages with sparklers are raised in celebration.
Emergency services have warned that it could take considerable time to formally name the victims of the fire, which claimed the lives of 40 people and injured another scores more. Authorities stated on Friday that the majority of the injured have been accounted for, with work still underway to locate the remaining few.
In the interim, relatives have been taking to social media to request any news about their loved ones who were present at the venue that night.
Heartbreaking Pleas for the Unaccounted For
The fate of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are currently unknown, according to an public plea from his mother.
The resident of Lutry near the city, informed a local newspaper that she had returned to Lausanne to check whether he was in the hospital, while his father did the same in Bern, but did not locate him.
"This is a living nightmare, an ordeal. Either I find my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in a serious state. Words cannot describe it," she stated.
She continued that some of his peers had been located with burns covering nearly half their bodies. "It's indescribable; they endured a terrifying ordeal."
The Italy's foreign ministry has said that a number of of its nationals have not been located.
One of those is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old promising athlete, originally from Genoa but now living in the UAE.
The Italian Golf Federation has stated that he is dead, without mentioning the tragedy, honoring a "talented young man who embodied dedication and authentic values."
His father, is quoted as saying that his son was at the bar and was last heard from around the new year. An official spokesperson has clarified that a official announcement of his death is awaited.
Other Missing Individuals
Giovanni Tamburi, 16, is likewise unaccounted for. His mother told reporters that he had been on holiday but had gone out with friends and ended up at the venue.
"A close friend told me they escaped after the fire erupted and that he had his mobile with him, but then at a certain point he couldn't see him anymore," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a distinctive piece of jewelry.
One of his teachers commented, "He was known for his good nature and smile, alongside great maturity. Often offer to get me a coffee."
Alice Kallergis, who holds dual Swiss and Greek citizenship but lives permanently in the country, was also at the bar on that night, according to media.
Her sibling has shared an appeal online, saying the family has had "no information" regarding the 15-year-old or the group she was with, who are also unaccounted for.
Consular authorities from her country of origin say they are continuing to monitor the developments.