All 40 victims of Swiss ski bar fire identified, including 14-year-old girl

Hundreds marched in silence to honour victims of the New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Amy Lewis reports

The 40 people who died in the Swiss ski resort fire in Crans-Montana have been identified, including 20 minors, Swiss authorities have said.

Among those who died in the New Year’s Eve blaze were four Swiss teenagers, aged 14, 18, and two aged 15, six Swiss men, aged 17, 18, 20, 31 and two aged 16, two Italians, both 16, a dual national Italian and Emirati, aged 16, a Romanian, aged 18, and a Turkish man, aged 18.

Nine of the newly identified victims were under the age of 18, police said.

France’s foreign ministry said Swiss authorities had confirmed that eight French nationals were among the dead.

Among the victims was 16-year-old Arthur Brodard, his mother said.

“Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise,” Laetitia Brodard wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday night. “We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light.”

Hundreds of people gathered in Crans-Montana on Sunday to honour those killed in the fire.

There was a chapel ceremony followed by a march, in near total silence, to the bar, Le Constellation, where the fire took place.

At one point, the crowd broke into sustained applause as flower bouquets were laid at a makeshift memorial.

“We are going through a moment of crushing darkness but we are going through it together,” one speaker said.

Mourners cry as they attend a memorial march in Crans-Montana. / Credit: AP

On Saturday Swiss police confirmed they had been able to identify four bodies and return them to their families – the only details provided were that it was two Swiss women aged 21 and 16 and two Swiss men aged 16 and 18.

Shortly after the fire officials said at least 40 people had died, and around 119 were injured. Over half of the injured were in a critical condition, many with severe burns.

Swiss authorities confirmed on Saturday that a criminal investigation had been opened into the managers of the bar.

The two managers are suspected of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing fire by negligence, police said in a statement.

The first victim of the New Year’s Eve blaze was named as 17-year-old golf player Emanuele Galeppini on Friday.

The Italian Golf Federation confirmed Galeppini had died in the fire and described him as a “young athlete who carried with him passion and authentic values”.

Among those still believed to be missing is Charlotte Niddam, a 15-year-old educated in the UK.

She attended Immanuel College, a private Jewish school in Bushey, Hertfordshire, according to a statement from the college.

Swiss authorities said on Friday that the fire was likely to have been started when fountain sparklers mounted on champagne bottles set the ceiling alight about 1.30am local time on Thursday.