In Switzerland, 24 of the 40 victims of the deadly fire in a bar at the Crans-Montana ski resort have already been identified, writes UNN with reference to Swissinfo.
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As it became known on January 4, another 16 dead were identified. Among them are four female and six male citizens of Switzerland, two citizens of Italy, as well as one person each with Italian/UAE, Romanian, French, and Turkish citizenship.
According to the Valais cantonal police, the age of these deceased ranges from 14 to 39 years. Their bodies have already been handed over to their families.
Currently, 40 people are believed to have died in the fire that occurred on New Year's Eve, and 24 of them have been identified in total.
After the fire at the Crans-Montana resort, federal authorities and Swiss churches agreed to hold a national day of mourning, which is planned for Friday, January 9, 2026. This was announced by President Guy Parmelin in an interview with the Sunday press.
As a sign of nationwide solidarity, church bells will ring throughout Switzerland at 2:00 PM on this day. A minute of silence will be observed. The president spoke about this in an interview with SonntagsBlick and SonntagsZeitung. "At this moment of concentration, all residents of Switzerland will be able to personally honor the memory of the victims of the disaster," he noted.
The minute of silence and the ringing of bells will coincide with the beginning of the mourning ceremony in Crans-Montana. As the community announced on its official website, an official memorial ceremony in honor of those who died in the fire is planned here on January 9. According to Guy Parmelin, a delegation from the Swiss Federal Council (government) will take part in it.