A distressed mother is currently searching for her teenage son and nine of his school friends who remain unaccounted for after a tragic fire incident during New Year celebrations in Switzerland.
Laetitia Brodard expressed her anguish over not having seen her 16-year-old son, Arthur Brodard, since he went to Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana to ring in the New Year. The incident, caused by sparklers inside champagne bottles igniting the basement ceiling, has left approximately 47 people feared dead and hundreds injured.
Speaking to the BFT TV news channel on Friday, Ms. Brodard, a Swiss national, shared her heartbreak, stating she has been searching for Arthur for over 30 hours without any updates. She vowed to continue the search relentlessly until she learns of her son’s fate.
Ms. Brodard disclosed that Arthur and his 10 school friends had made reservations at Le Constellation to celebrate the start of 2026, but only one of them has been located so far. She emphasized the anticipation Arthur had for the New Year’s Eve celebration with his friends and the uncertainty surrounding his current whereabouts.
Expressing frustration with the lack of information from Swiss authorities, Ms. Brodard highlighted the challenges faced in identifying victims and seeking updates through dedicated hotlines. She mentioned the difficulties in obtaining details about her son’s status and the ongoing efforts to gather information from the night of the incident through videos and photos.
The tragic event, which led to severe burn injuries among the predominantly young crowd, including teenagers and young adults, has left Swiss officials struggling to identify all victims. The first identified victim was 17-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, an Italian teenage golfer. Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the incident as a devastating tragedy that prematurely ended the lives of many young individuals.
The community continues to mourn the loss as survivors recount harrowing experiences of the fire’s aftermath, with authorities warning that it may take days to confirm the identities of all those affected by the blaze.