'Living a Nightmare': Relatives of Missing Teenagers Desperately Seek News After Alpine Inferno
The relatives of teens unaccounted for after a tragic blaze at a bar in a Swiss alpine town are confronting an agonising period of uncertainty for confirmed information and pleading for any details about their family members online.
The blaze devastated the Le Constellation bar in the alpine resort, located in the Swiss Alps of south-west Switzerland, in the middle of the night of New Year's Day. Circulated footage show the roof structure catching alight as bottles with sparklers are raised in celebration.
Emergency services have stated that it could take an extended period to formally name the those who perished of the fire, which resulted in the death of 40 people and wounded another scores more. Authorities said on Friday that 113 of the injured have been accounted for, with work ongoing to name the other six.
In the meantime, relatives have been using social media to plead for information about their missing relatives who were at the bar that evening.
Desperate Searches for the Missing
The whereabouts of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are still unconfirmed, according to an appeal from his mother.
The who lives of a town near the city, explained to a local newspaper that she had returned to Lausanne to see if he was in the medical facility, while his father did the same in the capital, but did not locate him.
"It feels like a terrible dream, an ordeal. The options are finding my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in a serious state. It's terrible," she said.
She explained that some of his peers had been found with burns covering a significant portion of their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they experienced a terrifying ordeal."
The Italy's foreign ministry has confirmed that six of its nationals have not been located.
Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a teenage promising athlete, originally from Genoa but now living in the UAE.
The Italian Golf Federation has said that he is no longer with us, without mentioning the fire, honoring a "talented young man who represented dedication and true sportsmanship."
His father, is quoted as saying that his son was at the bar and was last in contact around the new year. An official spokesperson has clarified that a formal confirmation of his death is still pending.
Additional Cases
Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is likewise among the missing. His mother told reporters that he had been on holiday but had ventured out with friends and ended up at the venue.
"A companion informed me they fled after the fire started and that he had his phone with him, but then at a certain point he they were separated," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a identifiable gold chain.
One of his teachers commented, "He was known for his good nature and positive demeanor, alongside great maturity. He would frequently ask if help out."
Alice Kallergis, who holds both Swiss and Greek nationality but lives full-time in the country, was also present on New Year's Eve, according to sources.
Her brother has posted an urgent request online, saying the family has had "no news" regarding the teenager or the group she was with, who are also reported missing.
Consular authorities from her other nation say they are closely watching the developments.