United News of Bangladesh

Sixteen-year-old Arthur Brodard went to the Le Constellation bar with friends to ring in the New Year. Nearly 48 hours after a devastating fire, his mother still clung to hope that he might be among the six injured people who had yet to be identified following one of Switzerland’s deadliest disasters. These six unidentified victims offered a small glimmer of hope for families searching for loved ones after the fire at the Crans-Montana Alpine ski resort, which claimed 40 lives and injured 119 others, 113 of whom have been formally identified. “I’m searching everywhere. My son’s body must be somewhere,” Laetitia Brodard from Lausanne told reporters. “I need to know where my child is, whether in intensive care or the morgue, so I can be by his side.” The severity of burn injuries has complicated identification for both the deceased and the injured, requiring families to provide DNA samples. In some cases, wallets and IDs were destroyed in the flames. Social media accounts have been filled with photos of missing people, as friends and relatives pleaded for information. Valais regional officials recognized the prolonged anguish. “Our priority is identification so families can begin to grieve,” said Beatrice Pilloud, the region’s attorney general. Regional government head Mathias Reynard added: “We understand the unbearable stress families feel with every passing minute without answers.” Investigators believe the fire was sparked when sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles touched the bar’s ceiling around two hours after midnight on New Year’s Eve. Dozens dead, about 100 injured in Swiss Alps bar fire during New Year “We were trying to evacuate people. Some were collapsing. We did everything we could to save them. People were screaming and running,” said 14-year-old Marc-Antoine Chavanon, recounting his efforts to help. “One friend was burned badly. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.” Most of the injured were teenagers and people in their twenties, police said. Authorities plan to investigate whether the ceiling’s soundproofing materials met safety regulations and whether the candles were allowed, along with other safety measures such as fire extinguishers and escape routes. Prosecutors warned criminal charges could follow if negligence is found. The injured included 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italians, and others from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland, with 14 nationalities still unconfirmed, said Valais police commander Frédéric Gisler. Among Italy’s missing was promising young golfer Emanuele Galeppini. His family awaits DNA confirmation, though the Italian Golf Federation has announced his death.