Forensic teams in Switzerland are currently investigating the cause of the fire and identifying the victims, many of whom sustained severe burns. Local officials have announced that 40 people died in the Crans-Montana nightclub, and more than 115 were injured.
Authorities stated that the identification of the deceased is their “absolute priority.” Regional authorities have just confirmed that four Serbian citizens are among the injured.
Unfortunately, Stefan Ivanović (31) from Valjevo—who worked as security at the bar—is not among the identified injured and is still officially listed as missing.
Official Identification Efforts
At a press conference, regional authorities stated that 113 of the injured have been identified, while work continues on the formal identification of six more individuals. According to local police commander Frédéric Gisler, the identified injured include:
- 71 Swiss citizens
- 14 French citizens
- 11 Italian citizens
- 4 Serbian citizens
- 1 citizen each from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Poland.
Gisler noted that the nationalities of 14 of the injured remain unknown. All police agencies in the Canton of Valais have been mobilized to prioritize the identification of the 40 deceased victims.
Serbian Embassy Emergency Contact Information
The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland is urging all Serbian citizens who believe that they, or their family members, have been affected by this tragedy—whether injured, missing, or deceased—to contact the diplomatic-consular missions immediately.
Citizens can reach out to:
- Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern
- Phone: (+41) 031 / 352-63-53
- General Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Zurich
- Phone: (+41) 079 / 40 34 525
Source: Serbian Times, Danas | Photo: Private Archive