Trapped Teens Escape Bar Fire that Killed 40 in Switzerland
A dramatic phone call from his daughter sparked an act of heroic bravery by Paolo Campolo, an Italian-Swiss dual citizen. The father of the 17-year-old had been celebrating New Year's Eve with friends and family at home just a few hundred feet away from the popular nightclub "Le Constellation," where tragedy struck.
The fire broke out around 1:20 am on January 1st, engulfing the packed bar in flames, prompting Campolo to quickly rush into action. Despite having suffered severe burns in the process, he sprinted towards the inferno and managed to rescue nearly a dozen trapped teenagers with the help of another courageous bystander.
Campolo described the scene as "thick black smoke" and rapid combustion that lasted only a few minutes. He realized early on that his fire extinguisher wouldn't be enough and instead used his wits to find an alternative escape route for the stranded patrons. With the locked service door as their only hope, Campolo and his rescuer broke open a large window to pull out those trapped inside.
The father's account of the ordeal has left many stunned, particularly with regards to the bar's lack of emergency exits that could have saved its patrons from such a devastating tragedy. "Whoever was inside had no escape," Campolo said in an emotional statement. The bravery displayed by Campolo and the other rescuers will undoubtedly be remembered for a long time.
The fire resulted in 40 fatalities, with over 100 others suffering injuries. Several of those severely burned were later confirmed to have been under the age of 18, emphasizing the devastating impact of this tragedy on the local community.
A dramatic phone call from his daughter sparked an act of heroic bravery by Paolo Campolo, an Italian-Swiss dual citizen. The father of the 17-year-old had been celebrating New Year's Eve with friends and family at home just a few hundred feet away from the popular nightclub "Le Constellation," where tragedy struck.
The fire broke out around 1:20 am on January 1st, engulfing the packed bar in flames, prompting Campolo to quickly rush into action. Despite having suffered severe burns in the process, he sprinted towards the inferno and managed to rescue nearly a dozen trapped teenagers with the help of another courageous bystander.
Campolo described the scene as "thick black smoke" and rapid combustion that lasted only a few minutes. He realized early on that his fire extinguisher wouldn't be enough and instead used his wits to find an alternative escape route for the stranded patrons. With the locked service door as their only hope, Campolo and his rescuer broke open a large window to pull out those trapped inside.
The father's account of the ordeal has left many stunned, particularly with regards to the bar's lack of emergency exits that could have saved its patrons from such a devastating tragedy. "Whoever was inside had no escape," Campolo said in an emotional statement. The bravery displayed by Campolo and the other rescuers will undoubtedly be remembered for a long time.
The fire resulted in 40 fatalities, with over 100 others suffering injuries. Several of those severely burned were later confirmed to have been under the age of 18, emphasizing the devastating impact of this tragedy on the local community.
what's going on in that bar?! 1:20 am and it just turns into a burning hellhole! Poor kids got caught inside without an escape route... and to top it off, they had no fire extinguisher 
. Can you imagine being trapped in there? 40 lives lost 
, over 100 hurt... the dad's bravery is amazing tho 
but seriously how could a bar not have emergency exits?! This place needs serious renovations ASAP 
40 lives lost is crazy and those poor kids who got severely burned... my heart goes out to them 
The fact that Paolo Campolo risked his own life to rescue those teens is honestly the most selfless thing I've ever heard of 
And yeah, it's totally clear that bar was woefully unprepared for an emergency like that - all those locked doors and no escape routes? 
It's just a miracle more people didn't make it out alive 
i mean, can you even imagine being in that situation? seeing your friends and family getting trapped in the fire, knowing you've gotta act fast or they'll be gone for good... it's heartbreaking. and yeah, the lack of emergency exits at "Le Constellation" is straight up ridiculous 
it's just a miracle Campolo was able to find an alternative escape route like that. anyway, I'm glad he was there to help out, but it's just another example of how easily tragedy can strike when you're in a situation where things are already on fire 
. I mean, what are the chances that your kid just happens to have an extra-large window to break open while you're running around in your pyjamas? 
It's like something out of a Hollywood movie.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this story... 40 people dead and a bunch of teens with severe burns. What's crazy is that Paolo Campolo, the guy who saved all those kids, got super burned in the process 
. Like, isn't there some kind of protocol for dealing with fires like this? The fact that Le Constellation didn't have emergency exits is insane 
The bar had no emergency exits? How could that be?! It's just so senseless. My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives, and I hope Campolo is taking care of himself too. This incident will definitely leave a mark 
.
i feel so bad for the families of the 40 ppl who lost their lives, especially the minors who were under 18