'Living a Nightmare': Families of Unaccounted For Teens Await Information After Ski Resort Fire
The loved ones of young people missing after a deadly fire at a establishment in a Switzerland's winter destination are confronting an agonising wait for answers and pleading for information about their children online.
The blaze ripped through the Le Constellation bar in the alpine resort, located in the mountains of south-west Switzerland, in the small hours of the first day of the year. Confirmed images reveal the roof structure igniting as beverages with sparklers are held aloft.
Emergency services have stated that it could take an extended period to identify the fatalities of the fire, which claimed the lives of four dozen individuals and injured another scores more. A spokesperson said on Friday that 113 of the injured have been accounted for, with work still underway to locate the final individuals.
In the interim, families and friends have been taking to online platforms to appeal for any news about their missing relatives who were at the bar that evening.
Heartbreaking Pleas for the Unaccounted For
The location of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are not yet determined, according to an heartfelt request from his mother.
The resident of a town near the city, informed a local newspaper that she had returned to the city to see if he was in the hospital, while his other parent did the equivalent search in Bern, but was unsuccessful.
"This is a living nightmare, an ordeal. Either I find my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in critical condition. It's terrible," she stated.
She continued that some of his friends had been discovered with burns covering nearly half their bodies. "There are no words; they went through an absolute nightmare."
The Italian foreign ministry has confirmed that a number of of its citizens have not been located.
One of those is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old sportsman, originally from Italy but now residing in Dubai.
The national sporting body has released a tribute that he is deceased, without mentioning the tragedy, honoring a "young athlete who represented 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 formal confirmation of his death is still pending.
Further Missing Individuals
Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is likewise among the missing. His parent said that he had been on vacation but had gone out with friends and ended up at the venue.
"Someone with him informed me they escaped after the fire started and that he had his phone with him, but then at a certain point he lost sight of him," she explained, adding he had been wearing a identifiable gold chain.
One of his teachers stated, "I've always been struck by his good nature and positive demeanor, combined with great responsibility. He would frequently offer to get me a coffee."
Alice Kallergis, who holds both Swiss and Greek nationality but lives permanently in Switzerland, was also at the bar on that night, according to sources.
Her sibling has shared an appeal online, saying the relatives has had "no news" regarding the 15-year-old or the group she was with, who are also reported missing.
Officials from her other nation say they are closely watching the situation.