Emanuele Galeppini dies at 17 after deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire in Switzerland resort as Italian golf loses a rising young star

Emanuele Galeppini was only 17 years old. The young Italian golfer died in a deadly fire during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Switzerland. The tragedy happened inside the Le Constellation bar at the Crans-Montana ski resort. Italian golf officials confirmed on January 1 that Emanuele was among the 40 people who lost their lives.

The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, according to Swiss authorities, as reported by NBC News. Many young people and tourists were inside the bar when the fire spread very fast. Around 115 others were hurt.




Soon after the news came out, the Italian sports world went silent. Messages of pain and love began to pour in. Emanuele was known as a kind and hard-working athlete. His death has left his family, friends, and the golf community in deep shock. What began as a night of joy turned into a heartbreaking loss felt far beyond Switzerland.

Emanuele Galeppini remembered as Italian Golf Federation shares tribute and Swiss officials explain cause

The Italian Golf Federation confirmed the death and shared an emotional message on Instagram on January 1. The statement said, “The Italian Golf Federation mourns the passing of Emanuele Galeppini, a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values. In this time of great sorrow, our thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him.”

The message ended with simple but powerful words: “Emanuele, you will forever remain in our hearts.”

The fire started inside the Le Constellation bar, a popular place for teens and tourists. It is located in Crans-Montana. Swiss officials are still working to understand exactly what happened.

At a press conference on January 2, Béatrice Pilloud, the attorney general of the Valais canton, spoke to reporters. According to CNN, she said, “There are a lot of circumstances to clarify, several hypotheses were put forward.” She added, “The main theory we’re prioritizing is a flashover that provoked a rapid explosion.”

She also explained, “Everything suggests that the fire started from the burning candles or ‘Bengal lights’ that had been attached to champagne bottles. From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread conflagration ensued.”

After the tragedy, Swiss President Guy Parmelin postponed his New Year’s Day speech. On X, he wrote on January 1, “What was a moment of joy turned into a tragedy in Crans-Montana last night, felt across the country and beyond.” He added, “Its thoughts are with the victims, the injured and their families and it extends its deepest condolences.”

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