“Praying for a Miracle,” as three Jewish Girls Missing After Deadly Fire in Switzerland

Search efforts continued Sunday morning in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana after a deadly fire last week killed at least 47 people and injured 119 others, according to Swiss authorities. Among those still missing are three Jewish girls: Charlotte Penny Rivka Needham, 15, who holds Israeli, French, and British citizenship, and Italian Jewish sisters Alicia Gunst, 15, and Diana Gunst, 14.

The fire broke out at a bar in the resort, identified by Swiss police as “Le Constellation.” Authorities said the fire spread rapidly, causing severe casualties, with many of the injured suffering serious burns. Searches for missing people have continued as investigators work to identify victims.

Charlotte Needham was working at the ski resort as a babysitter at the time of the incident. She previously studied at Immanuel College, a private Jewish school near Watford in the United Kingdom, before her family later moved to Switzerland and France. The school issued a statement calling on students, alumni, and families to pray for her safety, saying: “We are reaching out with an urgent request for our school community to come together in support of Charlotte Niddam. 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.”

At the same time, the family of sisters Alicia and Diana Gunst has circulated their photos on social media, appealing for any information that could help locate them. Swiss authorities noted that the identification of victims is particularly complex and could take days, given the condition of the bodies and the large number of casualties. Many of the injured were evacuated to hospitals in neighboring countries, including France, Italy, and Germany.

Swiss police said a criminal investigation has been opened against two managers of the venue. They are suspected of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson. According to preliminary findings and witness accounts cited by authorities, the fire was sparked by pyrotechnic candles used inside the bar. 

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it remains in continuous contact with Swiss authorities and with Charlotte Needham’s family and is continuing efforts to clarify her status and obtain a full picture of the situation.