'Trapped in a Dreadful Dream': Relatives of Unaccounted For Young People Desperately Seek Information After Ski Resort Blaze
The families of teens unaccounted for after a devastating inferno at a venue in a Switzerland's alpine town are confronting an agonising period of uncertainty for answers and appealing for clues about their loved ones via social media.
The blaze ripped through the a popular bar in Cans-Montana, located in the Alps of the Valais region, in the middle of the night of the first day of the year. Confirmed footage depict the roof structure catching alight as bottles with sparklers are raised in celebration.
Emergency services have indicated that it could take days if not weeks to identify the those who perished of the fire, which claimed the lives of 40 people and hurt another 119. Officials said on Friday that 113 of the those hurt have been identified, with the process ongoing to locate the other six.
In the interim, loved ones have been posting on online platforms to plead for information about their missing relatives who were at the bar that fateful night.
Heartbreaking Pleas for the Unaccounted For
The fate of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are not yet determined, according to an heartfelt request from his family.
The who lives of Lutry near the city, explained to a publication that she had gone back to the city to check whether he was in the medical facility, while his father did the equivalent search in the capital, but did not locate him.
"This is a living nightmare, a horror. The options are finding my son in the morgue, or I find him in intensive care. It's terrible," she said.
She continued that some of his companions had been found with injuries covering a significant portion of their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they went through a terrifying ordeal."
The Italian government has indicated that a number of of its young people are still unaccounted for.
One of those is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old promising athlete, originally from Italy but now living in the UAE.
The national sporting body has released a tribute that he is deceased, without mentioning the tragedy, honoring a "talented young man who represented dedication and true sportsmanship."
His parent, told media 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 among the missing. His parent said that he had been on holiday but had ventured out with a group and found himself at the bar.
"Someone with him said they fled after the fire broke out and that he had his phone with him, but then at a certain point he lost sight of him," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a identifiable piece of jewelry.
One of his teachers commented, "He was known for his kindness and positive demeanor, coupled with great maturity. Often ask if help out."
Alice Kallergis, who holds dual Swiss and Greek nationality but lives full-time in the country, was also at the bar on that night, according to reports.
Her brother has posted an urgent request on social media, saying the family has had "no updates" regarding the 15-year-old or the group she was with, who are also reported missing.
Consular authorities from her other nation say they are actively engaged with the developments.