On Monday, Italy repatriated Emanuele Galeppini, a Dubai-based 17-year-old student, who was among the victims of a deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, according to Reuters, who cited the Italian government. He was among five of the six Italians who died in the fire, and were flown to Milan on a military aircraft.
The others included Achille Barosi and Chiara Costanzo from Milan, Giovanni Tamburi from Bologna, and one victim from Genoa. Military personnel saluted the coffins as they were carried from the plane.
Galeppini was among those caught when an explosion and fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party at the upscale ski resort. Swiss police said on Monday, January 5, that all 116 injured people and all 40 fatalities from the fire had now been identified.
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Galeppini, an Italian junior golfer who lived in Dubai, was ranked 3,454th in the world amateur golf rankings. His profile described him as an “Italian junior golfer living in Dubai, loves to golf, compete and eat.”
Italian officials, the country’s golf federation, and Italian media have named the Dubai student and publicly shared tributes; however, there has so far been no official statement from Swiss police or from Galeppini’s family explicitly confirming his death.
Matteo Mineo, Chief of Staff to Italy’s Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, wrote on LinkedIn that Galeppini was “a young life taken too soon,” expressing condolences to his family, friends, and the wider Genoese sporting community.
In a statement shared on its official Instagram account, the Italian Golf Federation said it mourns the passing of Galeppini, “a young athlete who carried passion and authentic values with him”.
“At this time of great sorrow, our thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him. Emanuele, you will forever remain in our hearts.”
Local tributes have also poured in from the UAE. Stephen Deane, Dubai Golf Head International Development Coach, told Khaleej Times that Galeppini was a talented golfer and a kind individual. Deane, who worked with him for several years, said the teenager cared deeply about others and shared training videos of him practising in Dubai in 2024.
On January 5, Italian media outlet Primocanale shared footage showing what it said was Galeppini’s coffin arriving at the Capuchin Church inside San Martino Hospital in Genoa, following the repatriation of his body from Switzerland. The outlet reported that the government flight carrying his remains landed in Milan earlier that afternoon.
Swiss authorities said during a press conference that the fire may have started from sparkler candles placed on bottles inside the venue. Officials said the bottles were positioned too close to the ceiling, triggering a flashover incident that caused the fire to spread rapidly.
A flashover occurs when extreme heat causes nearly all combustible materials in an enclosed space to ignite almost simultaneously, turning a localised fire into a fully engulfing blaze within seconds. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
