Swiss authorities have identified one of the bodies of the fire at a bar in Switzerland on New Year’s Eve that killed 40 people as that of 15-year-old Alice Kallergis, a dual Greek-Swiss citizen, the Greek Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
State broadcaster ERT had reported earlier that the 15-year-old girl’s father, Antonis Kallergis, had posted an image on social media depicting an angel named “Alice” on a black background.
The girl’s brother also posted a video on social media showing moments from their childhood. Right after the fire in the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve, Alice’s brother had appealed on social media seeking information about the fate of his younger sister.
On Sunday, Swiss police said the last 16 people who died in the fire at the mountain resort of Crans-Montana had been identified.
Some 26 of the 40 dead were teenagers, with the victims including a 14-year-old French national and a 14-year-old from Switzerland, police said.
In total, 21 of the dead were Swiss citizens, seven were French and six Italian.
Other victims came from Romania, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium as well as one Swiss-French dual national and a 15-year-old girl who held French, Israeli and British nationality.
The fire likely started when “fountain candle” sparklers were held aloft too close to the ceiling at the Constellation bar, the region’s chief prosecutor has said.
Some 119 people were injured, including many with severe burns who are in critical condition.
The Swiss government said on Sunday that 35 patients have been transferred from hospitals in Switzerland to specialized clinics in Belgium, France, Germany, and Italy.
Two people who ran the bar are under criminal investigation on suspicion of offences including homicide by negligence, police said on Sunday.
Following an initial investigation, a criminal investigation has been launched into allegations against the two also for negligent bodily harm and negligently causing a fire.
