Tragedy struck at Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve, claiming the lives of 40 people in one of Switzerland's worst disasters. The last 16 victims have now been identified through forensic work that was slowed down by the horrific burns suffered by most of the victims.
Among the newly confirmed dead is Charlotte Niddam, a 15-year-old British girl who had been working as a babysitter in the area. Her family announced her death on social media, saying it came as a great sadness to them. Charlotte's funeral is set to take place later this week in Paris.
The victims include two Swiss girls aged 15, a Swiss woman aged 22, a Swiss and French woman aged 24, two Italian girls aged 16 and 15, an Italian boy aged 16, a 22-year-old Portuguese woman, a 17-year-old Belgian girl, two French women aged 33 and 26, two French men aged 23 and 20, two French teenage boys aged 17 and 14, and a 15-year-old girl with French, British, and Israeli nationalities.
The last group of victims to be identified included several people from different countries, highlighting the global reach of this tragedy. The investigation into what sparked the fire has revealed that it started when candles were held too close to the ceiling in the bar's basement level.
Two people who ran the bar are under investigation on suspicion of homicide by negligence, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire. Authorities have also planned to look into safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.
The disaster has left many injured, with some suffering disfiguring burns that required DNA samples and dental records to help identify their bodies. The severity of the victims' injuries meant that emergency services had to rely on forensic work to confirm identities.
A national day of mourning is planned for Switzerland, with church bells ringing across the country and a minute's silence scheduled. Leaders from around the world have also expressed condolences, including the Pope who sent a message expressing his compassion for the families of the victims.
Among the newly confirmed dead is Charlotte Niddam, a 15-year-old British girl who had been working as a babysitter in the area. Her family announced her death on social media, saying it came as a great sadness to them. Charlotte's funeral is set to take place later this week in Paris.
The victims include two Swiss girls aged 15, a Swiss woman aged 22, a Swiss and French woman aged 24, two Italian girls aged 16 and 15, an Italian boy aged 16, a 22-year-old Portuguese woman, a 17-year-old Belgian girl, two French women aged 33 and 26, two French men aged 23 and 20, two French teenage boys aged 17 and 14, and a 15-year-old girl with French, British, and Israeli nationalities.
The last group of victims to be identified included several people from different countries, highlighting the global reach of this tragedy. The investigation into what sparked the fire has revealed that it started when candles were held too close to the ceiling in the bar's basement level.
Two people who ran the bar are under investigation on suspicion of homicide by negligence, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire. Authorities have also planned to look into safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.
The disaster has left many injured, with some suffering disfiguring burns that required DNA samples and dental records to help identify their bodies. The severity of the victims' injuries meant that emergency services had to rely on forensic work to confirm identities.
A national day of mourning is planned for Switzerland, with church bells ringing across the country and a minute's silence scheduled. Leaders from around the world have also expressed condolences, including the Pope who sent a message expressing his compassion for the families of the victims.
just heard about this tragedy in Crans-Montana... so many young lives lost on NYE 
candle safety is super important 
hopefully they'll get some new safety measures put in place at that bar ASAP 
and a minute's silence for all the victims, rest in peace 
16 of those victims just took forever to be identified due to their injuries... DNA samples & dental records are lifesavers (no pun intended) 
... I mean, 40 people lost their lives in such a horrific way. You gotta feel sorry for Charlotte's family, a 15-yr-old girl, still so young 
It's crazy how something like candles being held too close to the ceiling can lead to such a disaster. Safety measures are definitely needed, but I hope they don't come at the cost of the bar owners' freedom. They need to be held accountable for their negligence. And yeah, it's nice that leaders around the world are expressing condolences, but what about the ones who can actually make changes? 
. I hope those who ran the bar are held accountable for their actions - it's not like it's hard to have basic safety measures in place 
. The fact that 16 people took so long to be identified is just another tragedy, and I can only imagine the families of the victims going through this 
. Safety should always come first, especially in places where people are supposed to feel safe and secure 
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I just can't believe what happened at Crans-Montana on NYE... it's like, you're having fun celebrating the start of a new year and then suddenly disaster strikes 
. The fact that so many people lost their lives is just heartbreaking, especially for Charlotte's family who had to share the news on social media 
. The fact that two people are under investigation is concerning, but hopefully they'll get justice and learn from their mistakes 
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It's just another tragedy now... so many lives affected, and a whole community will never be the same again 
. Like, I get it, accidents happen but come on, guys! This was preventable if you'd just followed basic rules. The fact that the bar owners are under investigation for negligence is a huge red flag 
. And what's with all the candle holders being held too close to the ceiling? It's not like we haven't seen this before 
. Anyway, my thoughts are with the families of the victims and I hope they get some closure soon 
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her family just shared it on social media and I can only imagine the pain they're going through 
. One thing for sure is that safety measures need to be taken seriously now 
. And on a brighter note, Switzerland's planning a national day of mourning which I think is a beautiful way to show respect for the victims 
40 people lost their lives, and I'm sure they were all having a blast...literally. 
I hope they get some answers soon, but for now, it's all just a big mess.
what's going on with these new year's eve parties in switzerland?! 40 people killed by a fire and it's all because some ppl held candles too close to the ceiling 
can't they see the fire alarm? 
. I mean, have you ever tried to get the perfect caramelized sugar on top? It's all about the technique, right? Anyway, back to the news... what I don't understand is why they're focusing so much on the safety measures at the bar now. Don't get me wrong, it's super important, but I think we need to talk about how people can be more careful with those candles in the future 
. Maybe next year, after they've had a chance to recover from this tragedy...