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The families of young people unaccounted for after a devastating blaze at a bar in a Swiss ski resort are confronting an agonising period of uncertainty for official news and pleading for any details about their loved ones online.

The blaze devastated the a popular bar in the alpine resort, located in the Swiss Alps of the Valais region, in the middle of the night of the first day of the year. Confirmed video depict the roof structure catching alight as bottles with sparklers are held aloft.

Emergency services have indicated that it could take days if not weeks to formally name the fatalities of the fire, which claimed the lives of 40 people and wounded another 119. A spokesperson noted on Friday that the majority of the those hurt have been accounted for, with work ongoing to locate the other six.

In the interim, families and friends have been using online platforms to request information about their missing relatives who were at the bar that evening.

Heartbreaking Pleas for the Unaccounted For

The location of teenager from Switzerland Arthur Brodard, 16, are not yet determined, according to an public plea from his mother.

The resident of a town near Lausanne, informed a publication that she had gone back to the city to see if he was in the hospital, while his other parent did the same in Bern, but was unsuccessful.

"This is a living nightmare, a horror. Either I find my son in the hospital mortuary, or I find him in intensive care. It's terrible," she said.

She continued that some of his friends had been discovered with burns covering nearly half their bodies. "It's unspeakable; they went through hell."

The Italian government has said that a number of of its citizens are still unaccounted for.

Included in that group is Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old promising athlete, originally from Italy but now living in Dubai.

The Italian Golf Federation has released a tribute that he is no longer with us, without mentioning the tragedy, paying tribute to a "talented young man who embodied passion and authentic values."

His father, told media that his son was at the bar and was last in contact around midnight. An representative has indicated that a formal confirmation of his death is not yet.

Additional Missing Individuals

Giovanni Tamburi, 16, is also unaccounted for. His parent said that he had been on holiday but had gone out with friends and ended up at the bar.

"Someone with him informed me they fled after the fire started and that he had his mobile with him, but then at a certain point he they were separated," she recounted, adding he had been wearing a identifiable gold chain.

One of his teachers stated, "I remember his good nature and smile, coupled with great maturity. Every time offer to help out."

Alice Kallergis, who holds both Swiss and Greek citizenship but lives permanently in Switzerland, was also at the bar on that night, according to reports.

Her brother has published an appeal on social media, saying the relatives has had "no news" regarding the 15-year-old or the three friends she was with, who are also unaccounted for.

Consular authorities from her country of origin say they are closely watching the situation.