Sixteen-year-old Filipino national Kean Kaizer Talingdan has been found and his identity has been officially confirmed, days after he was reported missing following a deadly fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, a ski resort town in Switzerland.
The Philippine Embassy in Berne has been coordinating with Swiss authorities on possible assistance to Filipinos affected by the fire, according to a report by ABS-CBN.
Meanwhile, authorities investigating the New Year’s blaze in the Swiss resort town have identified 24 of the 40 people killed, including 11 minors and six foreign nationals, police said Sunday.
Local police, who had earlier identified eight Swiss victims, said they have since identified 10 more Swiss nationals’ “four women and six men aged 14 to 31‘‘as well as two 16-year-old Italians, a 39-year-old Frenchman, a 16-year-old dual national of Italy and the United Arab Emirates, an 18-year-old Romanian, and an 18-year-old Turk.
The blaze also left 119 people injured. “It has been confirmed that Kean is in Zurich and that his identity has been confirmed,†said the boy’s mother, Kristal Talingdan.
Kean is confined at the University of Zurich Hospital, where doctors continue to closely monitor his condition, she said.
‘‘He is stable, but he cannot be approached yet. He is still in Zurich for now, and his vital signs are stable,’’ Kristal added.
Kean had traveled to Switzerland for a short break and was staying at the home of a friend’s family. He was with three classmates, all of whom were injured after attending what was meant to be a New Year’s Eve celebration.
In a separate interview, Kean’s father, Yohan Guiot, told the Italian newspaper Il Giorno that he received a call from his son at around 4 a.m. on
January 1 using a rescuer’s mobile phone.
Guiot said Kean was crying and frightened but said he was alive, although his entire body was in pain.
After the brief call, Guiot spoke with the rescuer, who told him that Kean had sustained extensive burns.
Kean was reportedly treated at the scene for nearly 45 minutes before being rushed to the hospital.
His father added that the identification of some victims took time, as many suffered severe burns and required extensive bandaging.
Meanwhile, Kristal said the Italian government is coordinating the possible transfer of Kean to Italy, pending clearance from the medical team. He may be moved to Niguarda Hospital in Milan, where other victims are also being treated, if his next medical evaluation yields favorable results.
The fire broke out at around 1:30 a.m. on January 1 during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Authorities have yet to determine how many people were inside the venue at the time, which reports said was frequented by young people. With AFP
