🔗 Share this article

The relatives of teenagers missing after a devastating blaze at a establishment in a Swiss alpine town are confronting an excruciating period of uncertainty for official news and requesting information about their loved ones via social media.

The blaze engulfed the a popular bar in the alpine resort, located in the Swiss Alps of south-west Switzerland, in the early hours of the first day of the year. Circulated images reveal the ceiling catching alight as bottles with sparklers are raised in celebration.

Officials have stated that it could take days if not weeks to identify the victims of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 40 people and hurt another over a hundred. Officials noted on Friday that 113 of the injured have been accounted for, with efforts still underway to identify the final individuals.

In the waiting period, families and friends have been posting on social media to request clues about their missing relatives who were present at the venue that fateful night.

Appeals for the Missing

The whereabouts of teenager from Switzerland Arthur Brodard, sixteen, are still unconfirmed, according to an heartfelt request from his mother.

The resident of Lutry near the city, informed a publication that she had gone back to the city to check whether he was in the medical facility, while his other parent did the same in Bern, but was unsuccessful.

"This is a living nightmare, a nightmare. Either I find my son in the morgue, or I find him in a serious state. It's terrible," she told the paper.

She continued that some of his peers had been found with burns covering a significant portion of their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they went through hell."

The Italy's foreign ministry has said that six of its nationals are still unaccounted for.

Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a teenage promising athlete, who hailed from Genoa but now living in the UAE.

The Italian Golf Federation has stated that he is no longer with us, without directly referencing the fire, honoring a "talented young man who represented dedication and authentic values."

His father, is quoted as saying that his son was at the bar and was last in contact around midnight. An official spokesperson has indicated that a formal confirmation of his death is awaited.

Further Cases

Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is also unaccounted for. His mother said that he had been on vacation but had gone out with a group and ended up at the bar.

"Someone with him informed me they fled after the fire broke out 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 gold chain.

One of his educators stated, "I remember his kindness and positive demeanor, alongside great maturity. Often offer to get me a coffee."

Alice Kallergis, who holds both Swiss and Greek nationality but lives full-time in Switzerland, was also at the bar on New Year's Eve, according to sources.

Her sibling has shared an urgent request online, saying the family has had "no updates" regarding the teenager or the three friends she was with, who are also unaccounted for.

Officials from her country of origin say they are actively engaged with the situation.