BLAZE HORROR
Brit-educated teen, 15, confirmed dead after Swiss bar inferno as cops identify all 40 victims with youngest aged 14
The fire was one of the worst disasters in recent Swiss history and has led to an outpouring of grief in Switzerland
A British schoolgirl has been identified as one of the victims of a Swiss ski resort fire on New Year’s Eve.
Charlotte Niddam, believed to be 15, had not been heard from since the inferno erupted at a packed tourist bar in Crans-Montana, Valais.
Charlotte Niddam is one of 40 victimsCredit: TikTok
People lay flowers and light candles for the victims of the fire at the ‘Le Constellation’ barCredit: EPA
Emanuele Galeppini was named as the first victim of the NYE Swiss bar fire
Chiara Costanzo, 16, was the second named victim of the deadly fireCredit: Il Corriere della Sera
The resort’s website lists Charlotte as a babysitter, adding that she is in Crans “very often”.
Teenager Charlotte previously attended Immanuel College, a private Jewish school in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
In a post on social media, her family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister, Charlotte.
“Details regarding the funeral arrangements will follow shortly. It is most likely on Thursday in Paris.
“Thank you for all your support those last few days.”
Cops have now identified the bodies of all 40 victims who died in the tragic blaze.
All the victims range in age from 14 to 39 years old, with teenagers making up more than half of the death toll.
Some 26 of the 40 dead were teenagers, with the victims including a 14-year-old French national and a 14-year-old from Switzerland, police said.
In total, 21 of the dead were Swiss citizens, seven were French and six were Italian.
Other victims came from Romania, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium, as well as one Swiss-French dual national.
Grief-stricken mum Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, who spent days searching for her missing son, Arthur, 16, said he was among them.
She said: “Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise.
Photos documenting other missing persons, mostly teenagers and young people, with their names, dates of birth and relatives’ contact details, have been posted on social media.
Promising Swiss boxer Benjamin Johnson, 18, and bouncer Stefan Ivanović, 31, who helped save several revellers from the flames, were also named among the dead.
Chiara Costanzo, a 16-year-old Italian girl, became the second named victim of the blaze after her father, Andrea, told Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera that “my beloved Chiara is no more”.
Her identification followed that of Italian 17-year-old golf prodigy Emanuele Galeppini yesterday.
The teen was a keen golfer and his Instagram account features a pic of him posing with pro Rory McIlroy, captioned “Pic of the year”.
The fire was one of the worst disasters in recent Swiss history and has led to an outpouring of grief in Switzerland, which will hold a national day of mourning next week.
Footage captured the moment the fire erupted inside the packed barCredit: Doug Seeburg
The fire was one of the worst disasters in recent Swiss historyCredit: Doug Seeburg
A waitress at Le Constellation sitting on the shoulders of a colleague while holding a sparklerCredit: BMFTV
It likely started when “fountain candle” sparklers were held aloft too close to the ceiling at the Constellation bar, the region’s chief prosecutor has said.
Some 119 people were injured, including many with severe burns.
More than 2,000 mourners walked in silence through the Swiss ski resort in a poignant procession which followed an emotional church service in memory of the dead.
Mourners, young and old, wiped tears from their eyes during the hour-long service as flags outside flew at half mast.
One woman inside the church listened intently, her hands clasped tightly, as speakers delivered readings in German, French and Italian.
The crowd then slowly walked in silence from the church towards the makeshift shrine set up in the shadow of Le Constellation bar to pay their respects.
The bar’s French owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are under formal criminal investigation for manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
The police probe will focus on renovation work carried out in 2015 which saw acoustic insulation foam fitted to the ceiling of the basement where the fire began.
Champagne sparklers held aloft by waitresses at 1:30am on New Year’s Day ignited the material – creating a flashover fire which engulfed the entire venue within seconds.
The police probe will also seek to identify the use of fire extinguishers, emergency exits and other firefighting equipment on the premises.
One former waitress claimed the emergency exit was always locked.
The Morettis – who broke cover briefly over the weekend – bought Le Constellation 10 years ago and began renovating the bar.
Bar owners Jacques Moretti, 49, and his wife Jessica, 40, face manslaughter chargesCredit: X
The local community in Crans Montana came to gather in a church service before walking silently up the hill to the scene of the fireCredit: Doug Seeburg
