Police have confirmed for the first time the identities of four bodies killed in a fire that broke out in a bar at a Swiss ski resort on New Year’s Eve.
Police said the bodies of two Swiss women, aged 21 and 16, and two Swiss men, aged 18 and 16, were handed over to their families.
Valais cantonal police said in a statement that “extensive” work by officers and a forensic laboratory had led to the identification and that work was continuing to identify the remaining victims.
A fire broke out in Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, killing 40 people and injuring 119, officials said. With many of the injured identified, families now face an agonizing wait for information about those missing.
The cause of the fire is believed to have been sparklers from a champagne bottle being carried too close to the ceiling, a preliminary investigation into how the fire started has found.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the incident one of the worst tragedies his country has ever experienced.
Details about the identified victims, including their identities, have not been released.
Among the dead and missing are many teenagers. Le Constellation is known to be popular with young people in ski resort towns, where the drinking age is 16.
On Friday, police said 113 of the injured had been identified, including 71 Swiss, 14 French and 11 Italians.
A teenage golfer from Italy has been named for the first time, but Swiss and Italian authorities have so far refused to confirm his death.
A helpline has been set up for concerned families: +41 848 112 117
