Teenager who studied in UK missing after Swiss bar fire

A teenager who went to two schools in the UK is believed to be among the people missing after a devastating fire at a Swiss ski resort that killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others.

Charlotte Niddam previously attended Immanuel College in Hertfordshire and the Jewish Free School in north-west London, according to reports.

The Jewish Free School (JFS) called for “love and prayers”, saying Charlotte had been a student there for two years before her family moved back to France.

“She is loved by so many within JFS and is friends with many in our community,” it added.

A statement from Immanuel College – a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire – widely reported in the UK press said her family had “asked that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time”.

It added: “We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others.”

Crans-Montana’s tourism website also lists her as a babysitter in the resort during school holidays.

The bar that was the scene of the fire, Le Constellation in the resort of Crans-Montana, was full of Swiss people and tourists celebrating New Year’s Day in the early hours of Thursday when the blaze began in the basement area.

Prosecutors say that, according to initial investigations, the likely cause of the fire was sparklers on champagne bottles being carried “too close to the ceiling”.

Switzerland’s President Guy Parmelin called it “one of the worst tragedies” experienced by the country.

An investigation into the causes of the blaze will focus on the materials used at the site, the bar’s fire safety measures, its capacity and the number of people inside at the time, Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said.

It could take days if not weeks to identify the victims of the fire, Swiss authorities said.

Officials said 113 of the injured had been identified, with authorities still working to identify the other six.