Charlotte Niddam/TikTokA former pupil at two British schools has been confirmed as one of the victims killed in a fire at a Swiss ski resort.
In a post on social media, Charlotte Niddam’s family announced her death “with great sadness” and said details of her funeral arrangements would be made in due course. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also confirmed the news in a post on X.
It comes as officials in Switzerland said on Sunday that they had identified all 40 victims of the New Year’s Day fire in a bar in Crans-Montana.
Charlotte, who was believed to be 15, previously attended Immanuel College, a private school in Hertfordshire and the Jewish Free School in north-west London.
In the statement on Facebook, Charlotte’s family wrote: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister Charlotte.
“Details regarding the funeral arrangements will follow shortly. It is most likely on Thursday in Paris.
“Thank you for all your support those last few days.”
According to the Crans-Montana resort website, Charlotte had been working as a babysitter in the area.
Cooper said it was “terrible news” that Charlotte had been identified as one of victims of the fire.
“My thoughts are with all her family and friends after this devastating loss,” she wrote on X.
After the blaze, Immanuel College had said it was “praying for a miracle”.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin has called the fire “one of the worst tragedies” experienced by the country.
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”.
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.
On Sunday, Valais cantonal police said all victims had been identified and were aged between 14 and 39 years old.
The victims came from seven countries – though several held multiple nationalities.
Swiss police said one of those victims identified was a 15-year-old who held triple citizenship with France, Israel and the UK.
Other nationalities include Portuguese, Romanian, Belgian, French, Italian and Swiss.
Another 35 people who were injured in the fire have been transferred to specialist burns units outside Switzerland as the country struggles to cope with the scale of the tragedy.
