'Trapped in a Dreadful Dream': Loved Ones of Unaccounted For Young People Await Answers After Alpine Inferno
The loved ones of teenagers unaccounted for after a deadly fire at a venue in a Swiss ski resort are confronting an agonising wait for official news and appealing for any details about their children online.
The blaze ripped through the Le Constellation bar in Cans-Montana, located in the mountains of south-west Switzerland, in the middle of the night of the first day of the year. Circulated video depict the roof structure igniting as bottles with fireworks are raised in celebration.
Authorities have stated that it could take days if not weeks to identify the victims of the fire, which killed 40 people and injured another over a hundred. A spokesperson stated on Friday that the majority of the injured have been accounted for, with efforts continuing to name the remaining few.
In the interim, families and friends have been taking to online platforms to plead for clues about their missing relatives who were present at the venue that fateful night.
Desperate Searches for the Missing
The whereabouts of teenager from Switzerland Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are not yet determined, according to an appeal from his mother.
The who lives of a town near the city, informed a publication that she had gone back to the city to check whether he was in the medical facility, while his father did the same in the capital, but could not find him.
"It feels like a terrible dream, an ordeal. The options are finding my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in intensive care. It's terrible," she stated.
She added that some of his companions had been found with burns covering nearly half their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they endured hell."
The Italian government has confirmed that a number of of its nationals have not been located.
Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a teenage junior golfer, who hailed from Italy but now living in the UAE.
The Italian Golf Federation has said that he is dead, without mentioning the fire, paying tribute to a "talented young man who represented passion and true sportsmanship."
His parent, reportedly stated that his son was at the bar and was last heard from around midnight. An official spokesperson has clarified that a formal confirmation of his death is still pending.
Further Missing Individuals
Giovanni Tamburi, 16, is likewise unaccounted for. His mother said that he had been on vacation but had ventured out with a group and ended up at the venue.
"A companion informed me they fled after the fire erupted and that he had his phone with him, but then at a specific moment he couldn't see him anymore," she explained, adding he had been wearing a identifiable gold chain.
One of his educators stated, "I've always been struck by his good nature and positive demeanor, combined with great responsibility. Often offer to help out."
Alice Kallergis, who holds dual Swiss and Greek citizenship but lives full-time in Switzerland, was also present on that night, according to reports.
Her brother has shared an urgent request on social media, saying the family has had "no updates" regarding the 15-year-old or the three friends she was with, who are also unaccounted for.
Officials from her other nation say they are continuing to monitor the case.