An Australian man has shared his harrowing escape from a deadly New Year's Eve fire at a popular Swiss ski resort, a tragedy that claimed the lives of around 40 people and left 115 injured.
A Fateful Decision That Saved Lives
Alex Aaron Pandolfi was meant to be inside the bar when it became engulfed in flames. However, a last-minute change of plans by his girlfriend spared them from the inferno. The couple had been returning from a friend's home located just 30 metres from the bar.
"I asked my girlfriend, 'OK, let's go inside for a drink, for a party,'" Pandolfi recounted. "And she said: 'No, no, tomorrow we have to ski, let's go to the hotel.'" They left the area a mere 30 minutes before the fire broke out. "She saved me," he said.
Waking to a Nightmare
Pandolfi initially mistook the sounds of the disaster for fireworks. The devastating reality only became clear the following morning. "When we woke up this morning, we discovered that a lot of people died," he said.
Among those missing are two girls who are relatives of one of his closest friends. Pandolfi expressed profound sorrow for the young victims, some aged just 16 and 17. "When you are 16-years-old you must have fun, you don't have to think about these things," he said. "In one second your life changes... This is a place for skiing, for a vacation with family and it's not a place for dying."
A Resort in Mourning
The aftermath has left the entire alpine community in a state of shock and grief. Pandolfi described a scene of collective mourning. "Here all the little city is shocked, the shops are all closed," he said. "You look at the face of the people and you feel that... everyone is shocked. It's a tragedy."
He reflected on how a holiday turned into a nightmare he will never forget. "This vacation becomes something that I would like to forget, but I'll never be able to do, maybe," Pandolfi said. A vigil has since been held at the scene as the community struggles to come to terms with the immense loss.
