Teenage girl educated in Britain confirmed to have died in Swiss ski resort fire as police identify all 40 victims
The victims range in age from 14 to 39 years old.
A former pupil at a British school has been confirmed dead after a fire at a Swiss ski resort killed 40 people and injured 119 others.
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Charlotte Niddam, believed to be 15, was among the last 16 victims to have been identified by police after the New Year blaze at the Crans-Montana resort.
She was initially reported as missing, after a fire broke out inside the Constellation bar in the early hours of Thursday, while revellers were celebrating the start of 2026.
Charlotte’s family said in a social media post on Sunday: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister Charlotte."
The post said Charlotte’s funeral is expected to take place in Paris later this week.
Read more: Swiss bar manager under criminal investigation following New Year's Eve fire that left 40 dead
Charlotte attended Immanuel College in Hertfordshire according to multiple reports and after the fire the school said in a statement it was “praying for a miracle”.
According to the Crans-Montana resort website, Charlotte had been working as a babysitter in the area.
The Valais region police force published a statement on Sunday confirming that all 40 people killed in the fire have now been identified.
The last 16 victims included two Swiss girls aged 15, a Swiss woman aged 22, a Swiss and French woman aged 24, two Italian girls aged 16 and 15, an Italian boy aged 16, a 22-year-old Portuguese woman, a 17-year-old Belgian girl, two French women aged 33 and 26, two French men aged 23 and 20, two French teenage boys aged 17 and 14, and a 15-year-old girl with French, British, and Israeli nationalities, police said.
Officials believe the sparklers, which shot upwards, ignited the blaze when they came too close to the bar's ceiling.
Authorities previously said they would look into whether the material on the ceiling of the venue that was designed to muffle sound conformed to safety regulations.
Officials said they would also look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.