Faces of the missing: Families face 'agonising' wait as scores of youngsters still unaccounted for after Swiss ski resort fire
Most of the victims are in their teens and twenties with severe third-degree burns, police have said
The families of the youngsters still missing following a fire at a Swiss ski resort bar are waiting in agony as officials warn it could take weeks to identify them following the disaster.
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At least 40 people have been confirmed dead and around 119 are injured in the fire that raged through Le Constellation, Crans-Montana, in the early hours of New Year's Day.
It comes as Swiss authorities confirmed four victims of the fire, identified as two Swiss women aged 21 and 16, and two Swiss men aged 18 and 16.
Their names are yet to be formally released.
Most of the victims are in their teens and twenties with severe third-degree burns, police say.
Police commander Frédéric Gisler said all apart from six of the 119 injured have been formally identified, but Swiss officials are yet to share the names of any victims or injured.
Swiss officials warned it could take days, if not weeks, to identify the remaining victims.
Read more: Former pupil at British private school among those missing after Swiss bar fire
Among them is Swiss national Arthur Brodard, 16.
His mother, Laetitia Brodard-Sitre told Le Temps: “I'm living a nightmare, a nightmare. Either I find my son in the morgue, or I find him in critical condition. It's terrible.”
Christophe Brodard, his father, told CNN: “We are so empty. We think he could still be alive so we still have hope of finding him.”]
He said his son was planning on staying at a friend’s house near the bar and did not realise anything was wrong until someone mentioned people had been killed.
Mr Brodard said: “Then I ran to the bar and saw the other parents.
“Arthur is really responsible. He is a good person and he was so happy to be spending that night with his friends.”
The family of Emilie Pralong, 22, also haven’t heard from her since the fire but hope she is being treated in hospital.
Her grandfather said the family now faces an “agonising” wait.
“We always hope - we are full of hope.
“It helps to overcome whatever the hardship,” he told BFM TV.
Alice Kallergis, 15, a dual Greek and Swiss national, was also reportedly at the bar on New Year's Eve.
On Instagram, her brother wrote that the family has had "no news" about her or the three friends she was with.
Alicia and Diana Gonset, aged just 14 and 15, are also believed to be unaccounted for.
The family posted a picture of the sisters on social media asking for anyone with information to get in touch.
One of the missing, teenager Charlotte Niddam, previously studied at the Immanuel College private school in Hertfordshire.
"We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others," the school said in a statement.
The Jewish Free School in north-west London, where Charlotte studied for two years before moving back to France, called for "love and prayers.
It said in a statement "She is loved by so many within JFS and is friends with many in our community,"
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."
Among the injured included 71 Swiss nationals, 14 French and 11 Italians, as well as citizens from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal and Poland.
The nationalities of 14 people were still unclear.
The blaze is believed to have been started by "flares" placed on top of champagne bottles held too close to the ceiling.
Beatrice Pilloud, the attorney general for the Valais region, said: “We assume that the fire originated from sparklers attached to champagne bottles. From there, the ceiling caught fire.
"We are also looking at what materials were used. The issue of emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and the bar's occupancy is also being investigated."
The prosecutor added that while unclear if criminal charges will be brought, it is possible that an investigation for "negligent homicide will be initiated."
The first victim to be publicly identified earlier on Friday was rising golf star 17-year-old Emanuele Galeppini from Italy.
The Italian Golf Federation confirmed his death, paying tribute to 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."