Former British schoolgirl, 15, is confirmed to be among victims of Swiss bar inferno as all are identified – with 26 of the 40 fatalities aged 18 or under

A 15-year-old British schoolgirl has been identified as a victim of the New Year’s Eve Crans-Montana ski resort bar fire.

The body of the victim, believed to be Charlotte Niddam, was reportedly identified with the help of Zaka, the Israeli emergency services organisation.

‘This is a very painful and difficult moment,’ said Zaka official Nachman Dickstein, according to Channel 12.

‘We’re still at work here with all of the officials, local authorities, Jewish communal representatives and an Israeli delegation to ensure that every stage [of the process] is carried out with sensitivity and the appropriate respect for the deceased and their families.’

In a post on social media, her family said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister, Charlotte.

‘Details regarding the funeral arrangements will follow shortly. It is most likely on Thursday in Paris. Thank you for all your support those last few days.’

On Friday, Immanuel College – a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire previously attended by Niddam – issued a statement to confirm she was missing.

‘We are reaching out with an urgent request for our school community to come together in support of Charlotte Niddam’, the statement read.

The body of the victim, believed to be Charlotte Niddam, was reportedly identified with the help of Zaka, the Israeli emergency services organisation
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The body of the victim, believed to be Charlotte Niddam, was reportedly identified with the help of Zaka, the Israeli emergency services organisation

‘Charlotte was a student at Immanuel College, and her family have now moved back to France.

‘The families have asked that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others, and want the families to feel the full strength of the Immanuel College community’s support’.

Images of the missing teen were shared in a post on the Instagram account, @cransmontana.avisderecherche, set up to help locate survivors.

The Instagram account said the teen was a babysitter, and that she visited the Alpine ski resort very often.

Friends at her former UK school also posted a series of pictures of Charlotte on TikTok.

One friend called Mia wrote on the social platform: ‘My sweet sweet special Lottie I love you more than the meaning of life. I need my best friend I miss you.’

Another friend, Summer, posted a compilation of videos of the two pals together, captioning the post: ‘I miss my best friend @Charlotte niddam #CransMontana.’

Niddam and her family lived in an affluent area close to Watford, Hertfordshire, before leaving the UK.

The teenager was described by a former neighbour as ‘kind’ and ‘so clever’.

All 40 people who died in the tragedy have now been formally identified, more than half of whom were teenagers.

The youngest victims were two 14-year-olds – a French boy and a Swiss girl.

Twenty-six of the fatalities were aged 14 to 18. The oldest victim was a 39-year-old French man.

In total, there were 10 Swiss males aged 16 to 31; 11 Swiss females aged 14 to 24; one 24-year-old woman who held dual Swiss-French nationality; three 16-year-old Italian boys and two Italian girls aged 15 and 16 and five French males aged 14 to 39.

Two French woman aged 33 and 26; a 15-year-old girl with triple British-French-Israeli nationality; a 16-year-old boy who held dual Italian-UAE nationality; an 18-year-old Romanian boy; a Belgian 17-year-old girl; a Portuguese 22-year-old woman and an 18-year-old Turkish boy, were also identified.

Images of the missing teen were shared in a post on the Instagram account, @cransmontana.avisderecherche, set up to help locate survivors
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Images of the missing teen were shared in a post on the Instagram account, @cransmontana.avisderecherche, set up to help locate survivors

A dramatic video captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski bar caught fire
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 A dramatic video captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski bar caught fire

A Valais police statement read: ‘Following the New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, the final 16 victims have been identified.

‘Identification efforts conducted by the Valais Cantonal Police, the Disaster Victim Identification team, and the Institute of Legal Medicine have led to the identification of 16 more victims of the fire at the ‘Le Constellation’ bar on January 1, 2026.

‘Therefore, all 40 people who died in the New Year’s fire have been identified.’

A number of the victims have been named but no further information will be released, police said.

The Daily Mail has approached the Foreign Office for comment.

In addition to the official tally, Antonio Tajani, Italy’s deputy prime minister, confirmed on Sunday that the three Italians’ bodies would be flown home on a ‘state flight’.

They have been named as Achille Barosi, 16, from Milan, Giovanni Tamburi, 16, from Bologna, and 17-year-old golfer, Emanuele Galeppini, from Genoa, who had dual citizenship and lived in Dubai.

Those who have been publicly identified include a young boxer named Benjamin Johnson, who ‘left us a hero, having come to the aid of his friend’, a social media post from the Swiss Boxing Federation said on Sunday.

Another teenager, Tristan Pidoux, has also been reported dead by a spokesperson for the family.

Italian 17-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, Italian 16-year-old Chiara Costanzo and Swiss 16-year-old Arthur Brodard have also been named.

Mourners attended a mass this morning at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe before joining the silent march up the hill to the Le Constellation bar, the site of the tragedy.

Emergency service workers were among those who gathered for the service – led by Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sion – and left flowers at a makeshift memorial.

Those who have been publicly identified include a young boxer named Benjamin Johnson, who 'left us a hero, having come to the aid of his friend', a social media post from the Swiss Boxing Federation said on Sunday
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Those who have been publicly identified include a young boxer named Benjamin Johnson, who ‘left us a hero, having come to the aid of his friend’, a social media post from the Swiss Boxing Federation said on Sunday

Footage shows flames ripping through the Crans-Montana club as revellers continue singing, dancing and shouting - unaware they are already trapped in extreme danger
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Footage shows flames ripping through the Crans-Montana club as revellers continue singing, dancing and shouting – unaware they are already trapped in extreme danger

In video footage someone can be seen trying desperately to extinguish the fire, but within seconds it takes hold, erupting into a deadly fireball that engulfs the packed bar
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In video footage someone can be seen trying desperately to extinguish the fire, but within seconds it takes hold, erupting into a deadly fireball that engulfs the packed bar

Swiss authorities said the process of identifying victims had been difficult because of the severity of the blaze.

In another tale of heroism similar to Johnson, Tahirys Dos Santos, a French football player was seriously injured in the fire after he went to rescue his girlfriend, Coline, who was trapped inside the Constellation bar.

Originally from Mont-Saint-Martin, the 19-year-old who plays for Metz, suffered severe burns to his body and was transferred from Switzerland to Germany by air ambulance.

His French club said it was saddened to hear the news and was working to have him transferred to a hospital closer to home as soon as possible.

‘Deeply affected by this news, the club’s management, players, coaches, and employees are in shock and are sending their thoughts to Tahirys as he battles his injuries,’ the club said in a statement on Facebook.

Christophe Hutteau, Dos Santos’s agent, told BFM TV that the footballer had fled the bar but returned when he realised his girlfriend was trapped inside.

‘He went back in to rescue her from the flames. He’s not only a victim, he’s a hero,’ he said.

Investigators said on Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers.

Authorities planned to look into whether the sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether sparklers were permitted for use in the bar.

The candles, which give off a stream of upward-shooting sparks, were the same type that is commonly available for parties, officials said.

Officials said they would also look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.

Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for the Valais region, warned of possible prosecutions if any criminal liability is found.