Swiss fire victims identified, with youngest aged 14

Brodard-Sitre asked people to pray for survivors and those injured.

“Pray for our children and deceased to reach heaven or somewhere other than heaven according to their religion,” he said.

Most parishioners attended the church service, where local bishop Jean-Marie Lovey delivered a message about Pope Leo XIV’s prayers for the dead youth, the injured and their families.

Approximately 119 people were injured in the fire, some with burns so severe that it took days to identify them.

Frédéric Gisler, police chief of the canton of Valais, which includes the resort town, said on Saturday that 71 of the injured were from Switzerland, 14 from France and 11 from Italy.

The Australian government confirmed that an Australian was among those injured, but did not release any details about the person’s medical condition or location.

Among the injured are people from Serbia, Portugal, Poland, Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium.

Those injured in the fire were transferred to burn units in hospitals in France, Germany and Italy, as well as Switzerland. French Minister of Health Stéphanie Rist said that 17 of the 35 patients transferred out of Switzerland were treated in France.

While authorities did not disclose the names of those who died, details of those who died began to emerge.

The Jewish community in Lausanne, Switzerland, said Sunday that Jewish sisters Alicia and Diana Gunst, ages 15 and 14, were killed in a fire.

The Italian Golf Federation also named 16-year-old Emanuele Galeppini among the dead, describing him as an athlete who “embodies passion and original values.” He was staying in the village with his family.

One of those killed, 18-year-old boxer Benjamin Johnson, was hailed as a hero for saving a friend in his final moments.

“Reports indicate that he lost his life while rushing to the aid of his girlfriend, thus saving her life,” said Swiss Boxing President Amir Orfia. “This last selfless act perfectly reflects his character: He was someone who was always helping others.”

Tristan Pidoux’s family also announced that he was among the dead.

“We just learned that our angel Tristan has passed away” They posted it on Instagram. “We are in shock. Life is so unfair. Rest in peace.”

Among the missing is 15-year-old Charlotte Niddam, who lives in Britain and recently studied at Immanuel college, a private Jewish secondary school in Hertfordshire. The school said in a statement last Friday that it was “praying for a miracle” for him. The BBC reported that she worked as a babysitter at the resort.

Messages flooded into the online book of condolences prepared by the Swiss government, which included an opening post by Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

“Many of the victims were young, full of plans, hopes and dreams,” he wrote. “Their lives should not be defined by how they ended. They should be honored for what they were: a promise, an energy, a part of our shared future.”

Swiss prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against the owners of the bar, which was destroyed in a fire that killed 40 people, after photographs showed that the flames spread through sound insulation material glued to the ceiling.

Police said the French couple is suspected of negligent homicide, negligent infliction of bodily harm and negligently causing a fire.

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The fire is believed to have started around 1.30am on Thursday morning, when bar staff carried champagne bottles with small fireworks attached and sparking into the crowd.

While the photographs taken at that time showed that the fire ignited on the insulation material, a video showed some people trying to extinguish the flames spreading to the ceiling.

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