Charlotte Niddam Identified in Swiss Ski Resort Fire

The body of Charlotte Niddam, a 15-year-old Israeli citizen, has been identified among the victims of the deadly New Year’s Eve fire at the La Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. The identification was confirmed on Sunday by ZAKA, marking the conclusion of the search for missing Jewish and Israeli victims at the site.

Niddam’s identification came after authorities earlier confirmed the deaths of Alicia and Diana Gunst, two Jewish sisters aged 14 and 15 who were also killed in the inferno. With all three teenagers now formally identified, ZAKA said the missing-persons phase of its work in Switzerland has ended.

Niddam lived in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and had studied at Immanuel College before her family returned to France. She was staying in the Crans-Montana area over the holiday period and was working locally as a babysitter. During the days when she was listed as missing, her school community gathered in prayer. “Charlotte was a student at Immanuel College, and her family has now returned to France,” the school said at the time, asking the public to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers.

ZAKA teams have been assisting Swiss authorities in the painstaking process of identifying victims following the high-intensity fire. Nachman Dikstein, ZAKA’s Europe commander, said, “This is a very painful and difficult moment. We continue to work together with all the bodies, local authorities, and representatives of the Jewish communities to ensure that every step is carried out with the proper sensitivity and honor for the victims and their families.”

On Sunday, Israel’s ambassador to Switzerland, Tibo Shalev Schlosser, visited the scene of the disaster. After receiving a briefing from the ZAKA team, the praised the volunteers for their work, calling them “ambassadors of kindness for the State of Israel throughout the world.”

The blaze at the La Constellation bar claimed the lives of approximately 40 people and left more than 115 others injured, many of them teenagers and young adults visiting the resort for New Year’s celebrations. Victims identified so far include nationals of Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Israel.

Swiss authorities have said the fire is believed to have broken out after the use of indoor pyrotechnic “fountain” devices, which ignited the venue’s wooden ceiling within seconds. A criminal investigation has been opened into the management of the bar on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson. 

ZAKA said its international team remains in Switzerland at the request of local authorities, continuing to assist with forensic work and ensuring that all victims are treated with dignity before being returned to their families.