- - First victim of Swiss resort fire named as teenage golfer

Lily ShanagherJanuary 2, 2026 at 9:31 AM

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Emanuele, a 16-year-old junior golfer, pictured with Rory McIlroy

The first victim of the fire that engulfed a bar in a Swiss ski resort has been named as Emanuele Galeppini, an Italian teenage golfer.

The blaze broke out during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Crans-Montana, killing at least 40 people and injuring 115 more.

There were around 200 partygoers, mostly aged between 16 and 25, inside the basement of Le Constellation bar when the fire broke out, according to witnesses.

Emanuele, 16, was named by the Italian Golf Federation, which said it mourned the passing 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 added.

Other foreign tourists are among the dead, police confirmed, but their nationalities have not yet been released.

The rest of the victims’ identities have not yet been released. Authorities warned on Friday that the process could take many days because of the severity of their burns.

Emanuele, who was of Genoese origin but lived in Dubai with his family, was reported missing by his father Edoardo on Thursday, according to Italian media.

Mr Galeppini previously appealed for help to find his son, saying: “Around 1.30am we learned of the explosion. We went up there in front of the restaurant but we haven’t found him yet. He hasn’t answered the phone since last night.”

Emanuele Galeppini was named by the Italian Golf Federation on Friday morning

Emanuele’s two friends, who accompanied him to the nightclub, were reportedly tracked down by their parents in nearby hospitals but had no information about him. The bar is reportedly one of the few late-night venues in the ski resort that allows people as young as 16 to enter.

The World Amateur Golf Ranking website describes the teenager as a junior golfer who “loves to golf, compete and eat”. His own Instagram page described him as a chef.

The fire tore through the bar’s packed basement in the luxury Swiss resort at around 1.30am on New Year’s Day.

Emanuele was first reported missing by his father Edoardo

According to witnesses, a barmaid carried on the shoulders of a colleague held a champagne bottle topped with a sparkler above her head which set fire to the ceiling.

Footage showed flames rapidly spreading along the ceiling above the bar as music continued to play before the fire then set off a series of explosions.

The blaze was believed to have triggered the release of combustible gases, which ignited and caused what firefighters called a flashover fire or backdraft.

However, authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which they have labelled an accident. No arrests have been made.

Credit: via X

Antonio Tajani, the Italian foreign minister, said on Friday that 12 to 15 Italian citizens were taken to hospital and a further 16 were missing.

France’s foreign ministry said nine French citizens were assumed to be among the injured and eight others remained unaccounted for.

A trainee footballer in Germany was injured in the blaze, his team said. Tahirys Dos Santos was “badly burned” and sent to Germany for treatment after the incident, FC Metz added.

The amount of burn victims overwhelmed Swiss hospitals, meaning some were sent abroad for treatment. Fifty people are reported have been severely burned.

The alpine resort of Crans-Montana, situated 25 miles north of the Matterhorn, is popular with tourists from Britain, France and Italy.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”