'Trapped in a Dreadful Dream': Loved Ones of Unaccounted For Teens Await News After Ski Resort Inferno
The loved ones of teens missing after a devastating fire at a venue in a Swiss alpine town are confronting an agonising period of uncertainty for official news and appealing for information about their children via social media.
The inferno devastated the a popular bar in the alpine resort, located in the Swiss Alps of south-west Switzerland, in the small hours of the first day of the year. Circulated images depict the roof structure being engulfed in flames as beverages with fireworks are raised in celebration.
Authorities have warned that it could take considerable time to identify the fatalities of the fire, which killed four dozen individuals and wounded another 119. Authorities noted on Friday that the majority of the injured have been identified, with the process ongoing to identify the other six.
In the meantime, loved ones have been using social media to request information about their missing relatives who were present at the venue that fateful night.
Appeals for the Unaccounted For
The fate of teenager from Switzerland Arthur Brodard, a teenager, are currently unknown, according to an appeal from his parent.
The who lives of a town near Lausanne, explained to a publication that she had gone back to Lausanne to see if he was in the medical facility, while his father did the same in Bern, but did not locate him.
"It feels like a terrible dream, a horror. The options are finding my son in the morgue, or I find him in intensive care. It's terrible," she told the paper.
She explained that some of his peers had been found with burns covering a significant portion of their bodies. "There are no words; they endured a terrifying ordeal."
The Italy's foreign ministry has confirmed that a number of of its nationals remain missing.
One of those is Emanuele Galeppini, a teenage sportsman, originally from Italy but now living in the UAE.
The national sporting body has released a tribute that he is no longer with us, without mentioning the fire, paying tribute to a "young athlete who carried with him passion and true sportsmanship."
His parent, is quoted as saying that his son was at the bar and was last heard from around the new year. An official spokesperson has clarified that a official announcement of his death is awaited.
Additional Missing Individuals
Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is also unaccounted for. His parent said that he had been on vacation but had gone out with a group and found himself at the bar.
"A close friend told me they ran away after the fire started and that he had his mobile with him, but then at a certain point he they were separated," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a identifiable piece of jewelry.
One of his teachers commented, "He was known for his good nature and positive demeanor, coupled with great responsibility. Often offer to help out."
Alice Kallergis, who holds dual Greek and Swiss citizenship but lives permanently in Switzerland, was also at the bar on New Year's Eve, according to reports.
Her brother has posted an appeal on social media, saying the relatives has had "no information" regarding the 15-year-old or the three friends she was with, who are also reported missing.
Officials from her other nation say they are continuing to monitor the case.