'Trapped in a Dreadful Dream': Relatives of Unaccounted For Teenagers Desperately Seek News After Ski Resort Inferno
The relatives of teenagers unaccounted for after a tragic inferno at a establishment in a Switzerland's ski resort are enduring an agonising period of uncertainty for answers and appealing for any details about their children via social media.
The blaze engulfed the Le Constellation bar in the alpine resort, located in the mountains of south-west Switzerland, in the small hours of the first day of the year. Verified footage show the ceiling igniting as bottles with sparklers are raised in celebration.
Emergency services have warned that it could take an extended period to identify the victims of the tragedy, which resulted in the death of numerous partygoers and injured another scores more. Officials noted on Friday that the majority of the those hurt have been identified, with efforts continuing to locate the remaining few.
In the meantime, relatives have been using online platforms to plead for clues about their friends who were in attendance that night.
Desperate Searches for the Missing
The fate of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, 16, are currently unknown, according to an appeal from his parent.
The resident of a town near Lausanne, informed a local newspaper that she had gone back to Lausanne to see if he was in the medical facility, while his father did the equivalent search in the capital, but did not locate him.
"It feels like a terrible dream, a nightmare. The options are finding my son in the morgue, or I find him in critical condition. Words cannot describe it," she said.
She explained that some of his peers had been located with burns covering a significant portion of their bodies. "There are no words; they went through an absolute nightmare."
The Italy's government has confirmed that a number of of its young people remain missing.
One of those is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old sportsman, who hailed from Genoa but now living in Dubai.
The Italian Golf Federation has said that he is deceased, without mentioning the tragedy, honoring a "young athlete who embodied passion and true sportsmanship."
His father, is quoted as saying that his son was at the bar and was last heard from around the new year. An representative has stated that a official announcement of his death is still pending.
Further Cases
Giovanni Tamburi, 16, is also unaccounted for. His mother explained that he had been on vacation but had ventured out with friends and found himself at the bar.
"A close friend told me they escaped after the fire started and that he had his phone with him, but then at a certain point he couldn't see him anymore," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a distinctive piece of jewelry.
One of his teachers commented, "I've always been struck by his kindness and positive demeanor, alongside great maturity. Every time ask if get me a coffee."
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 media.
Her sibling has posted an urgent request on social media, saying the family has had "no information" regarding the 15-year-old or the group she was with, who are also unaccounted for.
Consular authorities from her country of origin say they are actively engaged with the situation.