Swiss authorities investigating a fatal fire that broke out at a bar in a prestigious ski resort at New Year say they have identified all 40 victims – more than half of whom were 18 or under.
The fire, believed to have been caused as wait staff waved champagne bottles plugged with sparklers close to the ceiling, spread through Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana at 1.30am on January 1.
Investigators believe it then rapidly developed into a ‘flashover’ – likely igniting much of the venue in seconds and rendering escape almost impossible.
Forty people hailing from seven different countries were killed: 26 of those were aged between 14 and 18. Some were burnt beyond recognition, and were only identified through the use of DNA analysis.
Among the dead 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 women 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.
Another 116 were injured, some of them still fighting for their lives. Le Constellation’s French owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti are under investigation, suspected of manslaughter, bodily harm and causing a fire, all by way of negligence.
Investigators are examining whether the soundproof material used on the ceiling of the bar conformed to safety measures.
Former staff have also claimed that safety standards at the club were poor, alleging that fire extinguishers were kept under lock and key and that the bar’s emergency exit was often locked.
These are the names of those who died in the fire, which have gradually been released by families and foreign ministries in the days since the tragedy.
Benjamin Johnson
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Benjamin Johnson trained with the Lausanne Boxing Club and died saving a friend, according to the Swiss Boxing Federation
In a final and lasting act of heroism, 18-year-old boxer Benjamin Johnson died trying to save his friend as the fire took hold at Le Constellation.
Benjamin, described by the Swiss Boxing Federation president Amir Orfia as ‘a promising athlete and a radiant personality’, trained with the Lausanne Boxing Club.
The SBF president hailed Benjamin as a hero for making the ultimate sacrifice as he tried to help those in need.
Mr Orfia said: ‘According to witnesses, he lost his life while rescuing his friend, thus allowing her to survive. This act of ultimate altruism perfectly reflects who he was: someone who always helped others.’
A post by the SBF on social media read: ‘Benjamin left us as a hero, helping his friend. Our thoughts are with his family, relatives and all the victims of this national tragedy’.
Achille Barosi
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Achille Barosi died after returning to Le Constellation to retrieve his phone and jacket just as the fire broke out
Achille Osvaldo Giovanni Barosi, 16, went back to Le Constellation at 1.30am on New Year’s Day after leaving without his phone and jacket.
Moments later, the fire took hold – and the teenager from Milan was later confirmed to be among the dead.
His aunt had described him to the media as an avid painter, and had been attending an art school in the Italian style capital.
His cousin, Edoardo Sparacino, told Italian news agency ANSA: ‘I spoke to Achille’s friends who were there and they told me that my cousin had returned to the club for a moment when the explosion occurred.’
Alice Kallergis
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Alice Kallergis had been reported missing after going on what amounted to her first night out
Greek-Swiss citizen Alice Kallergis, 15, had been on her first night out with her older brother Romain, the pair having skied at Crans-Montana all their lives.
Romain told Metro that they had spent New Year’s Eve together before electing to go to different clubs: she fatefully chose to go to Le Constellation just minutes before the fire broke out.
Speaking before her death was confirmed, he said: ‘We stayed together until about 1am when she wanted to go to Le Constellation with some of her friends.
‘I ended up at a nearby club and left to go say hi to her. But when I got there, there were hundreds of people on the street and I saw all of the smoke coming from the building.’
ERT, the state broadcaster for Greece – where her family is from – reported that she was a permanent resident of Switzerland. Her death was confirmed by the Greek foreign ministry on Sunday, it said today.
Alice’s father, Antonis Kallergis, shared an image on social media showing a line drawing of an angel, accompanied by the name ‘Alice’. This was later shared by her brother Romain, who had been the face of the family’s public appeals.
Giovanni Tamburi
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Giovanni Tamburi, 16, lived with his mother in Italy but had gone to Switzerland to holiday with his father
Teenager Giovanni Tamburi, 16, hailed from Bologna in Italy but had gone to Crans-Montana for a holiday with his father, who has a house in Switzerland.
A student at Righi High School, he is said to have gone to Le Constellation after a dinner with friends – but never made it home.
A memorial service was held for Tamburi at the Church of Sant’Isaia in Bologna last night, reported La Repubblica, where shocked classmates remembered him.
One classmate, Emilia, told the publication: ‘What happened makes it clear he had no escape. And it’s painful to read the speculations of adults, who these days talk about the superficiality of young people.’
His former religion teacher, Don Vincenzo Passarelli, added: ‘As a man of faith, I’m sure he’s in heaven, but it’s heartbreaking for those left behind, parents, friends.’
Émilie Pralong
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Émilie Pralong had gone to Crans-Montana with friends for New Year – but was not heard from after the fire broke out
Émilie Pralong was known to have gone to Crans-Montana with friends on New Year’s Eve – but could not be reached by her family after the fire.
Tragically, the 22-year-old’s heartbroken grandfather Pierre Pralong has since confirmed to the New York Times that she was among those lost in the blaze.
She was among one of six grandchildren, the NYT reported.
In an interview earlier this week, he said that Émilie, had been studying to become a teacher, and had been ‘full of life and smiling and full of joy.’
‘In a difficult situation such as this one, I tell myself there is an inner strength that allows us to overcome events,’ Mr Pralong had said.
Tristan Pidoux
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Tristan Pidoux (seen here in a photo shared by his family) had been thought missing following the bar fire – before his family had their worst fears confirmed on Saturday
Tristan Pidoux, 17, had been at Le Constellation celebrating the New Year with his friends, according to an appeal on social media.
The Swiss national had initially been named as among the missing before the worst was confirmed by authorities on Saturday.
A post on social media issued by his family read: ‘We have just learned that our angel Tristan has left us… we are in shock.
‘I kept my promise to keep you informed, but I am going to take a break from social media because I am devastated… life is so unfair. May you rest in peace.’
Chiara Costanzo
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Chiara Costanzo, 16, had gone to Le Constellation ‘by chance’ on New Year’s Eve. Her father said she had been to the bar before with friends
Sixteen-year-old Chiara Costanzo from Milan was one of the six Italian nationals confirmed dead in the fire.
Her heartbroken father, Andrea Costanzo, confirmed to Corriere della Sera: ‘I just received the phone call that should never come to a father. A dull, unspeakable pain: my beloved Chiara is no longer with us.’
He had hoped that his daughter would be among those missing, her identity yet to be confirmed, before his worst fears were realised.
He said she had gone to Le Constellation with friends ‘by chance’ for New Year, and had been there before.
Mr Costanzo continued: ‘(She was) the most extraordinary to ever walk the earth.
‘The pain now is greater than the thirst for justice. I don’t even know if it will ever come. Now I just feel a great emptiness.’
Sofia Prosperi
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Sofia Prosperi, 15, had joined a group of friends in Crans-Montana to celebrate New Year on a break from studies in Como
Sofia Prosperi, 15, grew up in Castel San Pietro in the Swiss canton of Ticino, and had been attending the top International School of Como in Italy at the time of her death.
Italian media reported that the Italo-Swiss national had joined a group of friends to return to Switzerland to see in the New Year when tragedy struck.
Authorities added her to the list of missing people after friends went through images and videos of the party, recognising her among those who had not left the club.
Friends took to TikTok to pay tribute, one reported to have written: ‘All this makes no sense. We were supposed to keep growing together.’
Matteo Prosperi, the mayor of Castel San Pietro, told Swiss publication La Regione: ‘We are close to the family and share their grief.’
Riccardo Minghetti
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Riccardo Minghetti went to Le Constellation to celebrate New Year with his sister. She was outside the club when the fire started and survived
Rome native Riccardo Minghetti, 16, was reported by local media to have gone to Le Constellation with his sister Matilde – but she was outside when the fire started.
The pair had gone to Crans-Montana as their mother owns there. He was a member of EUR Sporting Club.
Matilde suffered minor injuries to her hands as she tried to push through the crowds looking for her brother; his parents Massimo and Carla were then told on Sunday morning that he did not make it out alive.
Giuseppa Tomao, headmistress of the Stanislao Cannizzaro scientific high school in the Italian capital’s EUR district, which both siblings attended, said Matilde suffered burns to her hands as she helped rescuers dig through the wreckage.
Riccardo’s friend Manfredi Marcucci, who also went to the club, survived with 40 per cent burns to his body, according to reports. The pair had been to the venue before.
La Repubblica reported that Riccardo was remembered as having ‘a quick wit’ and a passion for tennis, swimming and skiing. His funeral is expected to be held on Wednesday.
Ms Tomao added: ‘Riccardo will forever be a part of our school: his smile, his kindness, and his sensitivity will live on in each of our memories.’
Arthur Brodard
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Arthur Brodard was confirmed to have died in the Crans-Montana fire by his heartbroken mother on Saturday
Swiss national Arthur Brodard, 16, was confirmed to be among the dead by his heartbroken mother Laetitia in a video on social media.
Laetitia had last heard from her son as midnight approached, as he sent her a message reading: ‘Happy New Year, mum’.
She had been among the anxious parents seen in Crans-Montana showing pictures of her son to reporters, holding out hope that he may be found alive.
‘Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise,’ she said, visibly shaken, in the video shared online on Saturday.
‘We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light.’
Emanuele Galeppini
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Emanuele Galeppini was a talented young golfer who had been rising through the ranks with wins and podium places at junior events across the world
Promising golfer Emanuele Galeppini, 17, was confirmed among the dead by the Italian Golf Federation in a post on social media.
The youngster, who lived in Dubai and attended its Swiss International School, was remembered by the professional association as ‘a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values’.
It added: ‘Emanuele, you will remain in our hearts forever.’
Galeppini, from Genoa, had been ranked 3,408th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the time of his death but had been ranked as high as 2,440th in the past having notched up wins and podiums in junior golfing competitions.
His family had last spoken to him at midnight on New Year’s Day, according to Corriere della Sera – but could not get hold of him again as news of the blaze broke.
Charlotte Niddam
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Charlotte Niddam, 15, worked as a babysitter at the Crans-Montana resort. Her family confirmed her death on social media
Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Niddam had spent time growing up in Britain, attending the private Immanuel College in Bushey, Hertfordshire and the Jewish Free School in north-west London.
The teenager held British, Israeli and French citizenship and was identified with the assistance of Israeli emergency services organisation Zaka.
Crans-Montana’s website listed her as a babysitter available for hire at the resort.
Her family confirmed her death in a social media post on Sunday, writing: ‘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.’
The post said Charlotte’s funeral is expected to take place in Paris later this week.
In a tribute, Bushey United Synagogue Rebbetzen Jacqueline Feldman said: ‘The world will simply not be as bright and beautiful without Charlotte and her gorgeous smile and we will all miss her dearly.’
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A photo appears to show the moment champagne sparklers set fire to material on the ceiling of the Swiss nightclub
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Thousands joined a silent march through the ski resort of Crans-Montana on Sunday to remember the victims
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Police officers carry a coffin with a body of one of six Italians at the Military Airport in Sion, Switzerland, today following a devastating fire left dead and injured in a bar in Crans-Montana during the New Year’s celebration
The investigation into the fire is continuing today as bodies are returned home – with families desperate for answers as to exactly how, and why, tragedy was allowed to strike.
The Valais region’s top security official, Stéphane Ganzer, told SRF public radio on Saturday: ‘Such a huge accident with a fire in Switzerland means that something didn’t work – maybe the material, maybe the organization on the spot.’
He added: ‘Something didn’t work and someone made a mistake, I am sure of that.’
Italy, which lost six citizens, is demanding justice. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on social media: ‘In civilized Switzerland, the prison gates will have to open for quite a few people’.
Jacques Moretti, owner of Le Constellation, told Swiss media he and his wife were fully co-operating with authorities.
He said the bar had been inspected ‘three times in 10 years’. Local laws stipulate annual inspections for buildings open to the public, according to several reports.
Over the weekend, former staff at Le Constellation broke cover to allege that the building’s safety measures had been substandard – claiming fire extinguishers were locked away and an emergency exit was also locked as a matter of routine.
One, named Maxime, told French network BFM: ‘Unlike in other places where I’ve worked, the fire extinguishers were kept in a room that was locked.
‘There was definitely a risk and the safety measures were a bit dicey.’
Another, named Sarah, added: ‘When I stayed in an apartment above the bar, I had to get a key to open the door of the emergency exit to go upstairs … We were ordered not to unlock the emergency exit except to go upstairs to the apartment.’
She added that waitresses were often encouraged to put sparklers in champagne bottles in order to ‘put on a show for customers’.
On Sunday, residents of Crans-Montana took to the streets for a silent procession in memory of the dead.
Aika Chappaz, one of those who joined the march, said justice must be done for the sake of future generations.
‘It’s crucial that such a tragedy never happens again. And the investigation must be thorough, because it’s so unbelievable,’ she said.
