Swiss girl, 14, is youngest victim of Ski resort fire as 16 more of the 40 victims are identified
Forty people were killed in the inferno in the ski village of Crans-Montana when a fire broke out at Le Constellation bar during New Years celebrations, minutes after the clock struck 12.
By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER
Published: 09:47 GMT, 4 January 2026 | Updated: 22:04 GMT, 4 January 2026
A 14-year-old Swiss girl has been revealed as the youngest victim of the New Years Day ski resort fire as police have identified 16 more victims.
Forty people were killed in the inferno in the ski village of Crans-Montana when a fire broke out at Le Constellation bar during New Years celebrations at 1.30am on January 1.
Nine of the 16 new victims identified were children under 18-years-old. Valais Cantonal Police has listed those it had now confirmed as victims.
A spokesperson said: 'These are four Swiss women, aged 18, two aged 15 and 14, and six Swiss men aged 31, 20, 18, 17 and two aged 16, two Italians aged 16, a dual national (Italy and United Arab Emirates) aged 16, a Romanian aged 18, a Frenchman aged 39 and a Turkish man aged 18.'
Police have now identified a total of 24 those killed in the tragedy.
The victims were identified by the Disaster Victim Identification team (DVI) and the Institute of Legal Medicine.
Investigations are ongoing to identify the 16 remaining victims killed in the blaze.
Police said, 'out of respect for the families, no further information will be released at this time' about these 16 new identifications, who have not yet been publicly named.
Families gathered and laid tributes at the scene where 40 people were killed following the fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland
The fire broke out after sparklers used in celebrations set foam soundproofing ablaze
The fire took hold after sparklets used in celebrations set foam soundproofing on the ceiling alight.
Previously, eight others victims were identified by police, two of which were 16-year-old Swiss nationals.
These were four Swiss women aged 16, 21, 22 and 24 and four Swiss men aged 16, two aged 18, and one 21-year-old.
Parents have been searching for their missing children as tributes and candles were laid at the scene.
Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, 42, searched in vain for news of her eldest son, Arthur, aged 16.
She carried a photo of the boy on her phone, asking people if they had seen him.
She said: ‘He was looking forward to celebrating New Year’s Eve with his school friends at the resort and in this bar. They had made plans and reserved a table in advance.
‘Of the 11 people at that table only one has been found, and all the others are missing.
One young mother, Laetitia Brodard-Sitre, 42, (pictured) searched in vain for news of her eldest son, Arthur, aged 16
Laetitia's son Arthur Brodard, 16, has been missing since the fire in Crans-Montana