Police continue identifying victims of Swiss New Year's fire, many teens among dead
Among the missing is 15-year-old Charlotte Needham, an Israeli citizen who has also lived in Britain and France.
Swiss authorities continue to investigate the deadly fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, southern Switzerland, which has claimed at least 40 lives.
Police are still working to identify many of the victims and confirm the full extent of casualties.
Among those identified are 10 Swiss nationals, two Italians, one person with dual Italian-Emirati citizenship, one Romanian, one French citizen, and one Turkish national, according to Valais police. No further names have been released.
The fire also left at least 119 people injured, many with severe burns, prompting transfers to specialized burn units in hospitals across Europe. Officials emphasized that work to identify the injured and deceased is ongoing.
Among the missing is Charlotte Needham, an Israeli citizen who has also lived in Britain and France. Needham was last known to have lived in Bushey, near London, and attended Immanuel College, a private Jewish secondary school. She has been out of contact since the fire.
Immanuel College issued a statement urging the school community to rally around her family. “We urgently ask our school community to come together to support Charlotte Needham,” the statement read, noting that her family has requested privacy at this time.
The fire at the popular mountain resort bar has been described as one of Switzerland’s worst recent tragedies, prompting both national and international attention as emergency services continue their work.