“Nothing can be announced to the families unless we are 100% sure.” With these words the head of the government of the canton of Valais, Mathias Reinard, described the sad task of identifying the dozens of corpses of the murderer in the bar Le Constellation of , on New Year’s Eve. But beyond the part of identifying the bodies and handing them over to their relatives, the first contact with the victims – many of whom are teenagers – creates a real shock.
Agony and ignorance
According to the data known so far, the fire – which led to the death of 40 people -, which was lined with flammable soundproofing material. The initial report that there was only one emergency exit was denied by Stefan Ganzer, the canton’s security official. The authorities’ investigations are continuing. At the same time, as they do not know where and in what condition their loved ones are.
By midday Friday, the first identified body was believed to be that of 17-year-old golfer Emanuele Galepini. The unfortunate young man, born in Genoa, lived with his family in Dubai, where he attended the International Swiss School. He was considered one of the great hopes of his country’s golf and the Italian Golf Federation issued a statement of condolence, but this has not been confirmed by his family, who still consider him missing and await the official DNA test results.
Previously, the brother of the 15-year-old, of Greek origin with dual citizenship, had also appealed for information about her fate, since there is no official information, while three friends who were with her are also missing.
Her brother’s message was clear: “We have no news. Please, anyone who knows anything, contact us immediately.”
Suffocating uncertainty also characterizes the case of 16-year-old Arthur Brodard, whose mother sent a heartbreaking appeal from the French network BFMTV. “I’ve lived in Crans Montana for 30 years now and I haven’t heard from my child.”
Sisters Alicia and Diana Gonse, 15 and 14 years old respectively, are also missing, whose family announced the news of their disappearance in a post on social media.
But British Charlotte Needham, who worked as a babysitter at the Swiss resort, is also missing.
Also missing is 22-year-old Emily Pralong, owner of the health sciences PR firm RADAR RP. Pierre’s devastated grandfather appealed to television for information about his granddaughter.
Giovanni Taburi, 16, from Bologna, who was in Crans Montana on holiday with his father, is also listed as missing, with his mother issuing a dramatic appeal.
The case of 16-year-old Italian Achille Barozzi, who returned after the fire to retrieve his personal belongings and has been missing ever since, is an enigma. “We don’t know if he’s still alive,” a relative told the BBC.
Pain
Beyond the missing and the heartbreaking stories carried by the anguish of their loved ones about what happened to their loved ones, there is also the pain of those who survived the tragedy. An eyewitness speaking to CNN referred to the shock of the burns he saw in the first hours after the accident. “The worst was the scream of pain,” said Edmond Coquette.
Speaking to the BBC, the director of the hospital of Valais, Eric Bonvain, said that 55 wounded were housed in this particular unit. Of these, 28 have already been transferred to other hospitals for more specialized protection, while of the 11 who will remain in hospital, 4 – who are in critical condition – will need multiple surgeries to recover. He spoke of painful situations that require dedicated care.
The French soccer club Metz announced that their young soccer player Tahiris Do Santos escaped the worst but 30% of his body is covered by burns. “The pain is terrifying,” his agent told the French network BFMTV and informed that the young man was taken to a hospital in Germany.
The Instagram account called cransmontana.avisderecherche is constantly releasing photos related to the missing and contact information for those who want to provide information.
It is recalled that among the injured are 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italian, four Serbian, as well as citizens of Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal. The nationalities of fourteen of the injured have not yet been confirmed. Identification continues.
