The families of seven young people, mostly teenagers, are urgently seeking for information following the devastating fire in Crans-Montana.
Searches are being carried out by authorities in Switzerland to try and locate several people reported missing in the wake of the New Year’s disaster. Almost 50 people have died and more than 100 were injured after the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana caught fire.
Emergency services were called to the ski resort at around 1.30am local time on Thursday, January 1. Witnesses said they saw waiting staff enter the building with champagne and flares moments before the inferno broke out, forcing survivors to break windows in desperate bids to find safety.
At least seven people have been confirmed missing including four teenagers in the wake of the fire which one local politician said was attended by primarily young adults, reports the Mirror.
Arthur Brodard
One of the youngest people missing is Arthur Brodard. The 16-year-old’s mum, Laetitia, has told local outlet BFMTV that she had been searching for him “for over 30 hours” after checking all the local hospitals.
She said that her son had booked a table at Le Constellation to see in the new year with a group of 10 school friends – only one of whom has been found. She added: “He could be anywhere. I’ve been in Crans-Montana for 30 hours without any news of my child.”
Alicia and Diana Gonset
Alicia and Diana Gonset, aged 15 and 14, were reported missing by their family following the Swiss resort disaster – who said they could not be found in a social media post.
Alice Kallergis
Alice, 15, from Greece, was reported missing by her brother who took to social media in a bid to find any information about her. She is a Swiss permanent resident who has not been seen since the fire broke out, and her family has said: “We have no news.”
Emilie Pralong
Emilie, 22, from France was the subject of an appeal by her grandfather Pierre. He said that she had been in Crans-Montana with two friends but has not been seen since.
Speaking to BFMTV he said was searching for “witnesses to people at the La Constellation bar who might have seen Émilie,” adding: “Give us the information. Call me, call Grandpa.”
He said his granddaughter has tattoos, including a “glass of wine on her left triceps and a swan on her right triceps”.
Giovanni Tamburi
Giovanni, 16, is an Italian hailing from Bologna who’s mum Carla Masielli is appealing for information about her missing son after calling “all the hospitals” without success. The distraught parent told local media: “We don’t know if he’s among the dead. We don’t know if he’s among the missing. They don’t tell us anything!”
He was in Crans-Montana on holiday with his dad, who has a property in Switzerland, and went for dinner with friends before going to Le Constellation in the evening.
Stiven Ivanovski
Stiven, whose age has not been disclosed, is the subject of an urgent information appeal by family and friends, who are urgently searching for the Macedonian. He was last seen before the fire broke out, and a family said on social media that he was wearing “white pants and a white sweater” likely with a pair of sunglasses.
