Hero Father Saves Dozens In Swiss Ski Resort Inferno Horror

Hero Father Saves Dozens In Swiss Ski Resort Inferno Horror

A Swiss-Italian banker has been hailed a hero after he forced open an emergency exit and helped save up to ten young people from a deadly blaze at a packed New Year’s Eve party in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Paolo Campolo, 55, rushed from his nearby home after receiving a terrified late-night call from his teenage daughter, who told him her boyfriend and friends were trapped inside Le Constellation — the bar that seconds later became an inferno.

With the main staircase jammed as panicked revellers tried desperately to escape, Campolo fought his way to a side exit and managed to wrench it open. Survivors poured out through the smoky gap. Speaking from his hospital bed as he is treated for smoke inhalation, Campolo described a scene of horror and chaos.

“There were bodies everywhere… alive but burnt. Some conscious, others not. They were begging for help in several languages. They were very young,” he said.

At least 47 people were killed and 119 injured — 80 critically — when the blaze tore across the ceiling of the basement club, apparently triggered by sparkling champagne candles igniting flammable foam soundproofing. Many of the victims were teenagers and young adults.

Campolo said he did not think about the danger:

“I pulled kids out with my bare hands. One after the other. They were alive but injured. The look in their eyes — people who know they are dying — it never leaves you.”

His daughter survived because she had briefly returned home to toast midnight with her parents. Her boyfriend remains in a critical condition.

Authorities confirmed the injured include nationals from Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Luxembourg. Identification of victims is slow due to the severity of the burns.

Among the missing is 15-year-old British-educated schoolgirl Charlotte Niddam, whose friends and teachers have issued emotional appeals for news.

Footage from inside the club shows partygoers still dancing as flames crawl across the ceiling — with crucial seconds lost before panic set in. Moments earlier, waitresses had been seen carrying champagne bottles topped with sparklers, now believed to have ignited the blaze.

The club’s French owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, say they are devastated and “cannot sleep or eat,” insisting the venue had passed safety inspections. Prosecutors are investigating possible negligent homicide, including whether materials used inside the club met fire standards and whether sparklers were permitted.

Another young guest, 19-year-old student Ferdinand du Beaudiez, described escaping — then running back inside twice to save his brother and girlfriend. He said the fireball “sucked out the air,” leaving people choking and crawling to survive.

Police say the grim task of identifying the dead could take days.

For now, attention remains on the ordinary father who became a rescuer — a man who opened a door, and with it, a final path to life.

Key Takeaways

• Heroic rescue: Banker Paolo Campolo forced open a side exit, saving multiple trapped youths.

• Deadly blaze: 47 dead, 119 injured after champagne sparklers allegedly ignited ceiling foam.

• Criminal probe: Authorities investigating negligent homicide and fire-safety compliance.

SOURCE DAILY MAIL