The brother of a 15-year-old girl, who remains unaccounted for following the devastating New Year's Eve fire at a Swiss ski resort nightclub, has spoken of his family's anguish, revealing the evening was her first ever night out.
A Night of Celebration Turns to Tragedy
Romain Kallergis, 19, spent hours desperately searching for his younger sister Alice after a fire, believed to have been ignited by champagne sparklers, tore through the Le Constellation club in Crans-Montana. The blaze, which occurred on December 31, 2025, claimed at least 47 lives and left more than 100 people injured.
The siblings, both Swiss nationals who had skied at the resort "all of their lives," had celebrated together for most of the evening. Before parting ways to visit different venues, they captured a photograph together to mark the New Year. Romain explained to Metro that his sister, a talented skier in her final year of compulsory school, was not typically one for nights out. "She was never really one to go on nights out so this was a first for her," he said.
A Frantic Search for Answers
The pair separated around 1am when Alice went to Le Constellation with friends, while Romain headed to a nearby club. Concerned, he later left to check on her. "But when I got there, there were hundreds of people on the street and I saw all of the smoke coming from the building," Romain recounted.
He attempted to duck under a barrier to look for Alice but was held back by police. With no other option, he went to a neighbouring bar that stayed open for the families and friends of those feared trapped. "I tried calling her and calling her, but got no answer," he said. By 3am, he was forced to make the heartbreaking call to his parents to inform them their daughter was missing, prompting their father to fly back from Greece immediately.
Romain's ex-girlfriend's father drove him around the entire ski village and beyond throughout the night in a futile attempt to spot Alice. It wasn't until 10am the following morning that Romain returned home to rest, exhausted and without answers.
A Community in Mourning
The family's ordeal is being shared by many others. "All the family are here now, and we have called every hospital, but no one has any information. But we are not alone, loads of people are in the same situation," Romain stated, adding tragically, "And my friend has just learned her sister passed away."
Authorities have cautioned that identifying the victims and establishing a final death toll will be a lengthy process, as many bodies were severely burned. Crans-Montana’s mayor, Nicolas Feraud, told a press conference, "The first objective is to assign names to all the bodies." It is feared that many of those still missing are children.
The community of Crans-Montana and families from further afield are now united in a painful wait for news, as the investigation into one of Switzerland's deadliest nightclub fires continues.
