'Enduring a Horrific Ordeal': Families of Missing Teenagers Desperately Seek News After Ski Resort Inferno

Unaccounted teen portrait
Teenage Swiss teenager Arthur Brodard is one of those unaccounted for.

The loved ones of young people missing after a deadly fire at a establishment in a Swiss alpine town are confronting an excruciating wait for official news and pleading for clues about their loved ones via social media.

The blaze ripped through the a popular bar in Cans-Montana, located in the mountains of the Valais region, in the middle of the night of the first day of the year. Confirmed video reveal the roof structure catching alight as bottles with sparklers are raised in celebration.

Officials have warned that it could take days if not weeks to identify the fatalities of the fire, which claimed the lives of numerous partygoers and injured another over a hundred. Authorities noted on Friday that 113 of the injured have been identified, with efforts still underway to locate the final individuals.

In the meantime, families and friends have been using the internet to plead for clues about their friends who were at the bar that evening.

Heartbreaking Pleas for the Missing

The fate of Swiss national Arthur Brodard, 16, are currently unknown, according to an heartfelt request from his family.

The who lives of Lutry near the city, informed a publication that she had gone back to the city to check whether he was in the hospital, while his other parent did the same in the capital, but did not locate him.

"It feels like a terrible dream, an ordeal. The options are finding my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in a serious state. It's horrific," she told the paper.

She continued that some of his peers had been discovered with injuries covering nearly half their bodies. "It's indescribable; they endured hell."

The Italian foreign ministry has confirmed that a number of of its young people remain missing.

Unaccounted teen portrait
Junior golfer Emanuele Galeppini, 16, was last heard from around midnight on New Year's Eve, his father said.

Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old junior golfer, who hailed from Genoa but now residing in the UAE.

The national sporting body has stated that he is dead, without mentioning the tragedy, paying tribute to a "talented young man who carried with him dedication and true sportsmanship."

His father, told media that his son was at the bar and was last in contact around midnight. An official spokesperson has clarified that a official announcement of his death is awaited.

Additional Missing Individuals

Giovanni Tamburi, sixteen, is also among the missing. His mother said that he had been on holiday but had gone out with friends and found himself at the venue.

"A companion said they fled after the fire erupted and that he had his mobile with him, but then at a specific moment he they were separated," she explained, adding he had been wearing a distinctive piece of jewelry.

One of his educators commented, "He was known for his kindness and smile, coupled with great responsibility. Often ask if help out."

Alice Kallergis, who holds dual Swiss and Greek citizenship but lives permanently in the country, was also at the bar on New Year's Eve, according to media.

Her brother has published an appeal on social media, saying the family has had "no information" regarding the 15-year-old or the group she was with, who are also unaccounted for.

Consular authorities from her other nation say they are continuing to monitor the case.

Danielle Lowe
Danielle Lowe

A professional poker coach with over a decade of experience in high-stakes tournaments and strategy development.