'Living a Nightmare': Relatives of Unaccounted For Teenagers Desperately Seek News After Alpine Blaze
The families of teens unaccounted for after a deadly inferno at a bar in a Switzerland's alpine town are confronting an agonising period of uncertainty for answers and appealing for information about their family members online.
The blaze devastated the a popular bar in Cans-Montana, located in the Swiss Alps of the Valais region, in the small hours of New Year's Day. Confirmed images depict the ceiling igniting as bottles with sparklers are held aloft.
Emergency services have warned that it could take days if not weeks to formally name the victims of the fire, which claimed the lives of four dozen individuals and hurt another scores more. A spokesperson stated on Friday that the majority of the those hurt have been identified, with work continuing to locate the other six.
In the interim, loved ones have been posting on social media to plead for any news about their friends who were present at the venue that evening.
Heartbreaking Pleas for the Missing
The whereabouts of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, 16, are not yet determined, according to an heartfelt request from his family.
The who lives of Lutry near the city, explained to a local newspaper that she had gone back to Lausanne to check whether he was in the hospital, while his other parent did the same in Bern, but was unsuccessful.
"It feels like a terrible dream, a horror. The options are finding my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in critical condition. Words cannot describe it," she said.
She continued that some of his peers had been discovered with injuries covering a significant portion of their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they went through an absolute nightmare."
The Italy's foreign ministry has indicated that six of its citizens are still unaccounted for.
Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a teenage sportsman, who hailed from Genoa but now living in Dubai.
The Italian Golf Federation has stated that he is deceased, without mentioning the fire, honoring a "talented young man who represented passion and authentic values."
His father, told media that his son was at the bar and was last heard from around midnight. An representative has clarified that a formal confirmation of his death is still pending.
Additional Missing Individuals
Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is likewise among the missing. His parent said that he had been on holiday but had gone out with friends and found himself at the venue.
"A companion informed 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 explained, adding he had been wearing a identifiable gold chain.
One of his teachers said, "I've always been struck by his kindness and positive demeanor, combined with 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 at the bar on that night, according to sources.
Her sibling has posted an appeal online, saying the relatives has had "no news" regarding the 15-year-old or the three friends she was with, who are also reported missing.
Officials from her other nation say they are actively engaged with the case.