A tragic incident at the Crans-Montana ski resort on New Year’s Eve has claimed the life of a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Britain.
Authorities confirmed on Sunday night that the young girl, who also held French and Israeli citizenship, was identified as a victim, as reported by the Times of Israel.
The deceased, believed to be Charlotte Niddam, was reportedly identified with assistance from Zaka, an Israeli emergency services organization.
Nachman Dickstein, a representative from Zaka, expressed the gravity of the situation to Channel 12, stating, “This is a deeply sorrowful and challenging time.”
He added, “We are collaborating diligently with local officials, community representatives, and an Israeli team to ensure that each step is handled with utmost care and respect for the deceased and their loved ones.”
In a heartfelt social media message, her family shared, “With profound sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved 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.’
On Friday, Immanuel College – a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire previously attended by Niddam – issued a statement to confirm she was missing.
The body of the victim, believed to be Charlotte Niddam, was reportedly identified with the help of Zaka, the Israeli emergency services organisation
‘We are reaching out with an urgent request for our school community to come together in support of Charlotte Niddam’, the statement read.
‘Charlotte was a student at Immanuel College, and her family have now moved back to France.
‘The families have asked that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. We are all praying for a miracle for Charlotte and the others, and want the families to feel the full strength of the Immanuel College community’s support’.
Images of the missing teen were shared in a post on the Instagram account, @cransmontana.avisderecherche, set up to help locate survivors.
The Instagram account said the teen was a babysitter, and that she visited the Alpine ski resort very often.
Friends at her former UK school also posted a series of pictures of Charlotte on TikTok.
One friend called Mia wrote on the social platform: ‘My sweet sweet special Lottie I love you more than the meaning of life. I need my best friend I miss you.’
Another friend, Summer, posted a compilation of videos of the two pals together, captioning the post: ‘I miss my best friend @Charlotte niddam #CransMontana.’
Niddam and her family lived in an affluent area close to Watford, Hertfordshire, before leaving the UK.
The teenager was described by a former neighbour as ‘kind’ and ‘so clever’.
All 40 people who died in the tragedy have now been formally identified, more than half of whom were teenagers.
The youngest victims were two 14-year-olds – a French boy and a Swiss girl.
Images of the missing teen were shared in a post on the Instagram account, @cransmontana.avisderecherche, set up to help locate survivors
A dramatic video captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski bar caught fire
Twenty-six of the fatalities were aged 14 to 18. The oldest victim was a 39-year-old French man.
In total, there were 10 Swiss males aged 16 to 31; 11 Swiss females aged 14 to 24; one 24-year-old woman who held dual Swiss-French nationality; three 16-year-old Italian boys and two Italian girls aged 15 and 16 and five French males aged 14 to 39.
Two French woman aged 33 and 26; a 15-year-old girl with triple British-French-Israeli nationality; a 16-year-old boy who held dual Italian-UAE nationality; an 18-year-old Romanian boy; a Belgian 17-year-old girl; a Portuguese 22-year-old woman and an 18-year-old Turkish boy, were also identified.
A Valais police statement read: ‘Following the New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, the final 16 victims have been identified.
‘Identification efforts conducted by the Valais Cantonal Police, the Disaster Victim Identification team, and the Institute of Legal Medicine have led to the identification of 16 more victims of the fire at the ‘Le Constellation’ bar on January 1, 2026.
‘Therefore, all 40 people who died in the New Year’s fire have been identified.’
A number of the victims have been named but no further information will be released, police said.
The Daily Mail has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
In addition to the official tally, Antonio Tajani, Italy’s deputy prime minister, confirmed on Sunday that the three Italians’ bodies would be flown home on a ‘state flight’.
Those who have been publicly identified include a young boxer named Benjamin Johnson, who ‘left us a hero, having come to the aid of his friend’, a social media post from the Swiss Boxing Federation said on Sunday.
Another teenager, Tristan Pidoux, has also been reported dead by a spokesperson for the family.
Italian 17-year-old Emanuele Galeppini, Italian 16-year-old Chiara Costanzo and Swiss 16-year-old Arthur Brodard have also been named.
Mourners attended a mass this morning at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe before joining the silent march up the hill to the Le Constellation bar, the site of the tragedy.
Emergency service workers were among those who gathered for the service – led by Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey of Sion – and left flowers at a makeshift memorial.
Swiss authorities said the process of identifying victims had been difficult because of the severity of the blaze.
This is a breaking new story. More to follow.
