After the fire that devastated the Le Constellation club on New Year’s Eve in Crans-Montana, the search for the missing never stopped. Entire families live suspended hours, looking for news of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends who have no longer given signals. The toll remains very heavy, with dozens of victims and over a hundred injured, many of them very serious, while the identification operations proceed with extreme caution due to the condition of the bodies and the complexity of the investigations.
Social media as a tool for research and hope
Since most of the people present in the club were very young, social networks – and in particular Instagram – became a central tool in searches. Thousands of posts and stories tell of the anxiety of those looking for a face, a detail, a useful report.
Photos, descriptions of the clothes worn, direct messages to anyone who may have seen something: a spontaneous mobilization that testifies to the desperate need for answers. Alongside private appeals, the Swiss authorities have activated official channels. In addition to the official hotline (the number is 0848 112117), a WhatsApp channel and a temporary profile on Instagram have been opened. It’s called Crans-Montana avis de recherche and already has 14 thousand followers.
The hashtag #cransmontana, which has reached hundreds of thousands of mentions, has become a virtual rallying point. However, the focus is not only on visibility, but on how we are actually proceeding. The authorities invite you to use the hashtag responsibly, focusing on useful and verifiable information.
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Musumeci signs the decree activating the national mobilization
Faced with the gravity of the tragedy, the Italian government decided to intervene directly. The Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci signed the decree which activates the state of national mobilization, allowing the coordinated use of men and means to support the Swiss authorities.
Mobilization allows us to strengthen rescue operations, health care, evacuation of burn victims and technical support, if the affected country is no longer able to deal with the emergency alone. This is an extraordinary way to deal with a significant emergency, such as the one that occurred yesterday, and serves to coordinate the available resources, involving the mobilization of volunteers, vehicles and structures also from other Regions.
The Italians involved and the research still ongoing
Among the names circulating among the missing and injured there are also those of Italian children still missing, for whom the embassy and consulate are working in close contact with their families. The goal is not to fuel rumors, but to facilitate an orderly flow of reports that can aid searches without creating further confusion.
According to official data provided by the Farnesina, 19 Italians were involved in the fire. Some have been identified among the injured, while six compatriots are still missing. Identification operations require time and, in many cases, the use of DNA tests. For this reason, the authorities urge maximum caution when spreading unofficial names and news.
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Tajani’s words and the invitation to prudence
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly underlined the need to respect the procedures. “We do not confirm names: the Swiss authorities will communicate them to the families first” he explained, reiterating that providing unverified information risks increasing the pain. Tajani also ensured maximum availability to the families, going so far as to make his direct number available to facilitate contact. A diplomatic task force, officials from the Crisis Unit and a team of psychologists are operating on site to support the relatives of the injured and missing.
Respect for families and the Galeppini case
In a tragedy of this scale, information management is crucial. Spreading unconfirmed news, even in good faith, can generate false hopes or further trauma. Out of respect for those waiting for answers, the authorities ask you to rely only on official channels and to use social media responsibly. Silence, in certain moments, is also a form of respect.
A concrete example of how delicate it is to spread information that is not yet confirmed is the case of Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old Italian golfer. In the hours following the fire, the Italian Golf Federation published a message of condolence speaking openly about his death.
However, the boy’s uncle clarified that Emanuele is still among the missing and that the identification has not been completed. The discovery of the young man’s mobile phone, which occurred in the area where the bodies of the victims were taken, is not sufficient to certify a death. Until the outcome of the genetic test, any announcement remains unofficial.
It is therefore essential to wait for confirmation from the authorities, not only for correct information, but above all for families, who live hours suspended between pain and hope and should not learn hasty news from social media or hasty press releases.
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