Families of missing Italian teenagers caught in the deadly Swiss bar fire on New Year’s Day say they are living through hours of uncertainty, as authorities warn identification may take weeks. The blaze broke out shortly after midnight at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. Forty people died and 119 were injured.
Swiss investigators believe sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited material near the ceiling. Officials say flames spread rapidly.
Six Italian citizens remain unaccounted for, according to the Italian foreign ministry. Among them is Achille Osvaldo Giovanni Barosi, 16, who had returned to the bar at around 01:30 to collect his jacket and phone. His family has heard nothing since.
“We don’t know if he’s still alive,” his aunt Francesca told the BBC. Barosi studied at an art school in Milan. His family described him as a gifted painter.
Another missing Italian is Giovanni Tamburi, 16, from Bologna. He had been on holiday with his father but went out with friends. A close friend told his mother they fled when the fire began, but later lost sight of him. Tamburi was wearing a gold chain with a small Madonna, his mother said.
Emanuele Galeppini, 16, a junior golfer originally from Genoa, was also at the bar. He was last heard from around midnight. The Italian Golf Federation announced his death in a tribute statement. Italian authorities have not formally confirmed this.
Galeppini lived in Dubai and competed internationally. His father said he had been celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends.
Appeals on social media
Families have used social media to appeal for information following the Swiss bar fire, sharing photographs and descriptions of clothing.
Swiss officials said they are using Disaster Victim Identification procedures to identify the dead. This involves forensic specialists, doctors and dentists. Police commander Frédéric Gisler said identification remains the priority.
Of the injured, 11 Italians have been formally identified. Six people remain unidentified.
Many of the injured are still in critical condition. Some have been transferred to specialist burns units across Europe.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said investigators are examining the bar’s fire safety measures, ceiling materials and capacity.
She said authorities are also reviewing whether building regulations were followed. The bar could hold up to 300 people. Officials have not confirmed how many were inside.
A national memorial ceremony will take place in Crans-Montana on 9 January.
For now, families continue to wait. As one relative said, hope remains, but reality cannot be ignored.
