Pinoy teen alive after Swiss fire

A 16-year-old Filipino has been found and identified days after he was reported missing following a deadly New Year’s Eve fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Kean Kaizer Talingdan is currently confined at the University of Zurich Hospital, where doctors continue to monitor his condition closely, his mother, Kristal Talingdan, said.

“He is stable, but he cannot be approached yet. He is still in Zurich for now, and his vitals are stable,” she added.

Kean had traveled to Switzerland for a short break and was staying with a friend’s family, along with three classmates.

All four were injured in the incident while attending what was meant to be a carefree New Year’s Eve celebration.

Burned but alive

In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giorno, Kean’s father, Yohan Guiot, said he received a call from his son around 4 a.m. on 1 January, using a rescuer’s mobile phone. Guiot said Kean was crying and frightened but confirmed he was alive, though his body was in pain.

After the brief call, Guiot said he spoke with the rescuer, who reported that Kean had sustained extensive burns and had been treated at the scene for nearly 45 minutes before being rushed to the hospital.

Guiot also noted that identifying some of the victims took time, as many suffered severe burns and required extensive bandaging.