An FC Metz footballer has been seriously injured in a devastating New Year’s Eve fire at a ski resort in Switzerland.
Tahirys Dos Santos was taken to a hospital in Sion after being “seriously burned” in the blaze in Crans-Montana.
He was later airlifted to a specialist burns hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, where he remains.
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The 19-year-old French national is currently “not in a condition to speak”, according to his agent, Christophe Hutteau.
“The main positive is that, contrary to what doctors had feared earlier today, he didn’t need to be put on a ventilator, so his lung function is sufficient without respiratory support,” Hutteau told French media.
He added: “Given that he’s in a specialist burns unit, you can sadly imagine the physical condition Tahirys is in.”
Dos Santos, who also holds Cape Verdean citizenship, plays as a left-back for FC Metz B in the fifth tier of French football.
Hutteau said: “I knew Tahirys was spending his holidays in Crans-Montana, staying with friends who own a chalet.
“On the morning of 31 December, he called me to say he was working hard on his fitness, that his goal for the second half of the season was to become a permanent member of the first-team squad, and that he was doing everything to return in top shape.
“He’s a 19-year-old in the prime of his life who had just made his first senior appearance in the Coupe de France.
“Everything was falling into place, rewarding his professionalism – there’s a real sense of injustice.”
Dos Santos – from Mont-Saint-Martin, Meurthe-et-Moselle – was on the first floor of the bar when the fire broke out.
He, his girlfriend, and friends struggled to escape, as reported by Need To Know.
“The first thing he kept asking the doctors when he regained consciousness was, ‘Where are my mates?’” Hutteau said.
“His girlfriend was also seriously injured and is hospitalised.”
The agent added yesterday (1 Jan) that Dos Santos may undergo surgery that night, possibly involving a skin graft.
Swiss authorities said around 40 people were killed and about 115 injured in the blaze.
The fire may have been caused by a birthday candle on top of a champagne bottle that was held too close to the ceiling.
FC Metz said it is “working closely with the medical authorities to arrange Tahirys’ transfer to Mercy Hospital, near his home”.
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