A teenage international golfer was the first publicly identified victim killed in the New Year’s Eve bar fire at the Crans-Montana resort in Switzerland on Wednesday (December 31).
The Italian Golf Federation shared a statement paying tribute to Emanuel Galeppini, 16, an Italian native who lived in Dubai, which was obtained by Reuters on Friday (January 2).
“The Italian Golf Federation mourns the passing of Emanuele Galeppini, a young athlete who carried with him passion and genuine values,” the federation said via the New York Post.
Around 40 people people were killed and 115 injured, including dozens severely, during the fire at Crans-Montana,
“We can expect victims of foreign nationalities,” local police chief Frederic Gisler said during a press conference while providing the preliminary death toll on Thursday (January 1).
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that the death toll rose to 47 after being in continued contact with Swiss authorities throughout the day on Thursday. Several other victims involved in the fire were also reported to be teenagers, according to the French outlet RTS via the New York Post.
Three disaster trucks, 13 helicopters, 42 ambulances and 150 emergency responders were reported to be present at the scene after the fire broke out at Le Constellation bar just after 1:30 a.m. local time.
“This was one of the worst tragedies our country has experienced,” Swiss President Guy Parmelin said during a press conference on Thursday via the New York Post.
Crans-Montana is a historic venue on the professional skiing circuit having hosted the 1987 FIS World Alpine Skiing Championships, which debuted the super-G discipline to the world championships, and is scheduled to host the world championships in February 2027. The venue is also the home of the Omega European Masters golf tournament on the DP World Tour.
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