Israeli teen Charlotte Niddam confirmed dead in New Year’s fire at Swiss ski resort

Israel’s ZAKA volunteers said to help identify body after over 40 killed in Alps disaster; Niddam, who was also a UK and French citizen, went to Jewish school in London

Charlotte Niddam, an Israeli girl who went missing in the deadly fire at a New Year’s party in a Swiss ski resort, has been confirmed dead, Hebrew media outlets reported Sunday, as authorities worked identify the more than 40 people killed in the disaster.

Niddam, who was 15, also had British and French citizenship. Her body was reportedly identified with the help of ZAKA, the Israeli emergency services organization. She was among a number of teenagers killed in the fire, with Swiss police saying some victims were as young as 14.

“This is a very painful and difficult moment,” said Zaka official Nachman Dickstein, according to Channel 12.

“We’re still at work here with all of the officials, local authorities, Jewish communal representatives and an Israeli delegation to ensure that every stage [of the process] is carried out with sensitivity and the appropriate respect for the deceased and their families,” he added.

With the identification of Niddam’s body, all of the Israelis and Jews who had gone missing in the tragedy have been located, Hebrew outlets reported.

“Charlotte was a student at Immanuel College, and her family has now moved back to France,” the London-area Jewish school told the Daily Mail before she was identified. “The families have asked that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. ”

The fire likely started when “fountain candle” sparklers were held aloft too close to the ceiling at the Constellation bar, the region’s chief prosecutor has said.

The mini-fireworks, stuck in the top of champagne bottles, were being waved near the basement bar’s low ceiling, covered in thin soundproofing foam, according to the images posted to social media.

Some 119 people suffered injuries, including severe burns, with many transferred to burn units in hospitals around Europe. Work on identifying the dead and the injured is continuing, the police said.

Two bar managers are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, the Valais region’s chief prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, told reporters Saturday. The announcement of the investigation did not name the managers.

Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Officials said they also would look at other safety measures on the premises, including fire extinguishers and escape routes.