Katherine Ryan’s eldest daughter Violet has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to British-educated teen Charlotte Niddam, who tragically died in the Swiss bar fire
Katherine Ryan’s daughter Violet has paid tribute to a teen who died in the horror bar fire in Switzerland.
The eldest daughter of the BBC star took to Instagram to mourn the loss of Charlotte Niddam, a joint British, Israeli and French national. The 15-year-old previously attended Immanuel College, a private school in Hertfordshire.
She shared a tribute to the teen after it was confirmed she was one of the victims who had been identified after the fatal fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana which has killed 40 people. The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning, when people were celebrating the New Year.
Authorities have now confirmed all 40 victims have been identified. The tribute, which included a picture of Charlotte, read: “The body of Israeli teen Charlotte Niddam has been identified after a deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a Swiss ski resort in which at least 40 people were killed. May her memory forever be a blessing.”
Violet, 16, wrote: “Absolutely awful, rest in peace angel,” alongside a heart emoji. It is not known whether or not Violet and Charlotte knew one another.
Charlotte’s family announced her death in a heartbreaking post on social media. They wrote: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister, Charlotte.
“Details regarding the funeral arrangements will follow shortly. It is most likely on Thursday in Paris. Thank you for all your support those last few days.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has also paid tribute to Charlotte. She wrote on X: “Terrible news that Charlotte Niddam has been identified as one of those killed in the Crans-Montana fire. My thoughts are with all her family and friends after this devastating loss.”
Charlotte was working as a babysitter in the Swiss ski resort. Teachers at the top school had previously told how they were “praying for a miracle”—but their worst fears were confirmed this weekend.
Investigations are being launched into whether the bar’s ceiling – designed to keep the noise down – actually turned the venue into a tinderbox. Investigators are also checking if fire extinguishers were up to scratch and if escape routes were blocked when the New Year party turned into a nightmare.
The local police – Police Cantonale du Valais published a statement on Sunday confirming that all 40 people killed in the fire have now been identified.
“The identification operations carried out by the Valais Cantonal police, [specialised forensic process] Disaster Victim Identification, and the Institute of Legal Medicine have made it possible to identify 16 new people who died in the fire of January 1, 2026 at the bar ‘Le Constellation’,” police said in their statement. “Out of respect for the families, no further information will be disclosed.”
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here.
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
