FC Metz has confirmed that one of its young players sustained serious injuries in the devastating Swiss ski resort fire that claimed approximately 40 lives on New Year’s Eve.
Tahirys Dos Santos, a 19-year-old youth academy product, suffered severe burns during the blaze at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.
The teenager was subsequently transported by air ambulance to Germany, where he remains under medical care.
The French club released a statement on Thursday evening revealing the news, describing how the young footballer had been holidaying in the mountains with friends when tragedy struck.
Tahirys Dos Santos has been airlifted to hospital with severe burns
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He had been staying at a chalet and was due to return to training on Friday.
Dos Santos hails from Mont-Saint-Martin and operates as a versatile left-back who can also play in midfield.
He has established himself as a dependable presence in the Metz reserve squad competing in National 3, France’s fifth tier.
Such is his standing within the youth setup that he wore the captain’s armband at the beginning of the current campaign.
The defender has made ten appearances for the reserves this season, starting nine matches and contributing one assist.
PICTURED: Scenes of the blaze outside the bar in Swiss ski town Crans-Montana | X
His performances earned him a maiden call-up to the senior squad on 20 December for a French Cup last-32 tie away to Biesheim, though he did not feature in the 3-0 victory.
The inferno at Le Constellation erupted at approximately 01:30 local time as revellers celebrated the arrival of the new year.
Two French witnesses, Emma and Albane, recounted to BFMTV how a waitress placed a birthday candle atop a champagne bottle moments before disaster struck.
“One of the candles was held too close to the ceiling, which caught fire. In a matter of seconds, the entire ceiling was ablaze. Everything was made of wood,” they said.
The pair described the escape as extremely challenging owing to narrow passageways and even tighter staircases.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin has declared it “one of the worst tragedies that our country has experienced”.
Metz’s leadership, playing staff and coaching team have been left reeling by the news, with the club expressing profound shock at the circumstances.
Ambulances and rescuers are seen on the site of a fire that ripped through a bar in the luxury Alpine ski resort town of Crans Montana | GETTY
Officials are currently liaising with medical authorities to facilitate Dos Santos’s transfer to Mercy Hospital, situated close to his family home.
The club has pledged to keep supporters informed should any significant developments occur regarding his condition.
In the meantime, Metz has urged the public and media to afford the young player and his relatives the space they need during this harrowing period.
The club extended its full support to the family as their son continues his recovery.
