The first victim of the tragic fire that swept through a bar in a Swiss ski resort during a New Year’s Eve party has been named.
Emanuele Galeppini, a 17-year-old Italian golfer, perished in the fire at Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
In a statement, the Italian Golf Federation said it mourned the death of a “young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values. In this time of great sorrow, our thoughts go out to his family and all those who loved him.”
It comes as families face an agonising wait to find out what happened to their loved ones while investigators work to identify the bodies of 47 people who were reportedly killed in the blaze.
Swiss authorities have warned that it could take days before they can name all the victims.
Italy has set the death toll at 47, with the victims thought to be mostly young people.
More than 100 people were injured, many seriously, when the fire tore through the basement bar as a large crowd of people celebrated New Year.
Parents of missing young people have issued desperate pleas as Swiss authorities attempt to identify who was affected by the tragedy.
Crans-Montana's mayor, Nicolas Feraud, said on Thursday evening: "The first objective is to assign names to all the bodies.”
Mathias Reynard, head of government of the canton of Valais, said dental and DNA samples were being examined.
He explained: “All this work needs to be done because the information is so terrible and sensitive that nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100 percent sure."
Amongst the countries affected are Italy, France, and Austria, who have reported missing nationals. Australia has reported that one of its nationals was injured.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was expected to visit Crans-Montana on Friday, according to Italy's ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado.
Mr Cornado has said that all bar five of the 112 injured had been identified, six Italians are missing, and 13 are hospitalised. The country repatriated three nationals on Thursday, and three more will follow on Friday, he said.
The cause of the fatal fire is not yet known, but Swiss authorities said it appears to be an accident rather than an attack.
Accounts of survivors helped shed some light on what happened that fateful night. Kean Sarbach, 17, said he had spoken to four people who fled the bar, including some with burns, who told him the flames spread very quickly.
Elisa Sousa, 17, said she was planning to be there but spent the evening with family instead.
She said: “And honestly, I'll need to thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go, because God knows where I'd be now.”
