She survived the Crans-Montana fire by clutching the cross around her neck — a testimony that is moving the world.
There are moments when reality turns into a nightmare of flames and smoke, when every possible escape seems to disappear. That is exactly what happened to a young girl during the horrific fire that broke out at a popular venue in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, a place frequented by both locals and tourists.
What began as a carefree New Year’s Eve celebration at the Le Constellation nightclub in Switzerland’s Valais canton turned, within seconds, into a living hell of fire that engulfed everyone inside.
The tragedy claimed 47 lives, including six Italian teenagers who have been identified: Giovanni Tamburi, Emanuele Galeppini, Achille Barosi, Riccardo Minghetti, Chiara Costanzo, and Sofia Prosperi. More than 100 people were injured. In the wake of the disaster, an investigation has been opened on charges of manslaughter, bodily harm, and arson against the venue’s owners.
After two and a half days suspended between hope and despair, the family’s worst fear has become reality. Giovanni, the 16-year-old boy who went missing in the New Year’s Eve tragedy in Crans-Montana, has been officially identified as one of the victims of the devastating fire. DNA results have put an end to even the faintest hope. All that remains now is the memory of his gentle smile — and an unbearable pain for those left behind.
Giovanni’s phone had run out of battery. In his pocket, there were only his passport and his scooter license — nothing that could quickly lead rescuers to the family to be notified. Around his neck, he wore a small necklace with an image of the Virgin Mary, the last fragile hope his mother clung to, praying it might help identify her son among the unnamed victims. But the miracle never came. One friend recalled that Giovanni was running just behind him while they were trying to escape the flames and thick black smoke swallowing the bar — and then, in the chaos, Giovanni vanished forever.
From Bologna, his mother’s desperate cry still echoes: “Please help me, I can’t find my son anywhere.” A prayer vigil was organized, whispered hopes lifted in silence… but tonight will be the longest and coldest night for everyone who never stopped searching for Giovanni.
A deeply moving testimony from a survivor of the flames
Yet amid the blaze, where fear seemed certain to prevail, something happened that defied the impossible. A video now circulating widely online captures those dramatic moments — and the extraordinary power of a prayer lifted up to God.
In the video, Laeticia, 17, recounts in a voice still broken by emotion the moments when she found herself trapped. As the flames devoured everything around her, her hand instinctively reached for the most precious thing she had with her: a cross hanging around her neck.
“I was clutching that cross and praying to the Lord that I wouldn’t burn,”
she says in her testimony. In those moments of desperation, she cried out with a plea that was both anguished and full of faith:
“Lord, please, don’t let me burn.”
A simple, instinctive, and pure prayer — one that became a powerful shield.
A miracle at the hands of a stranger
“I think I’m among the few who weren’t completely burned. Only my feet were on fire. I was stretching out my hands, and the whole time I was holding the cross around my neck and praying to the Lord not to let me burn.
I was buried under the bodies of people who were burning and about to die. I held the cross and screamed that I didn’t want to die.
At one point, there was a boy — I don’t know who he was — who took my hand and pulled me out of there. I don’t think I even thanked him, I was so shocked. I don’t know if he can hear me now, but I thank him with all my heart. Without him, I would be dead.”
Her testimony opens a small ray of light in the midst of a terrible tragedy that cut short the lives of dozens of young people and forever marked those who survived.
May the Lord welcome the victims into His infinite Mercy, comfort their families who are now enduring unimaginable pain, and sustain and accompany those who face a long and painful journey of healing and recovery ahead.
