KOCANI, North Macedonia — A devastating fire swept through a packed nightclub in North Macedonia’s town of Kocani early Sunday morning, claiming the lives of 59 people and injuring 155 others as panic ensued during a live concert. This tragic event brought the spotlight on corruption issues within the small Balkan nation. Authorities have detained 15 individuals in connection with the incident.
The fire erupted just before dawn, primarily impacting the young crowd gathered there. Victims suffered from severe burns, smoke inhalation, and were caught in a chaotic stampede as they tried to flee through the club’s single exit. Tragically, some of the victims were as young as 16 years old.
Footage from inside the club displayed pyrotechnics igniting the ceiling, followed by frantic scenes as young people scrambled through the dense smoke. Musicians took the stage with urgent pleas for everyone to evacuate quickly.
Marija Taseva, a 19-year-old concert-goer, described the pandemonium as she desperately searched for a way out during a performance by a local pop group at Club Pulse. “We even tried to escape through the toilet, only to find bars on the windows,” she recounted. Marija managed to flee despite being injured, saying, “I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe.”
This fire stands as the most horrific disaster in the recent history of North Macedonia, which has a population of under 2 million. As a result, the government declared a week of national mourning to honor the victims.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski announced that 15 were detained following an initial investigation that revealed the club lacked a valid operating license and had severely exceeded its capacity of 250 people. “We suspect there might be issues of bribery and corruption involved,” he indicated.
The tragedy elicited condolences from leaders and officials across Europe, including messages from the office of Pope Francis during his hospital stay for double pneumonia, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed his sorrow, stating, “Ukraine mourns alongside our Macedonian friends on this sad day.”
The Health Ministry reported that neighboring countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Turkey, extended offers of aid, preparing to treat those with severe injuries. Paramedics from Serbia and Bulgaria traveled to North Macedonia to support local emergency response.
Throughout the day, family members anxiously gathered outside hospitals and local government offices in Kocani, desperate for updates on their loved ones. One resident, Dragi Stojanov, learned of the death of his 21-year-old son Tomce. Heartbroken, he exclaimed, “Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses inside… And the bosses of organized crime are just pocketing money.”
In the capital city of Skopje, injured victims were distributed among various hospitals, receiving treatment predominantly for burns and smoke inhalation. President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited affected individuals and spoke with their waiting parents, urging resilience and courage in the face of this disaster.
The destructive fire caused a partial collapse of the nightclub’s roof, exposing charred wooden beams and debris. In the aftermath, police cordoned off the area, and investigative teams began collecting evidence in collaboration with state prosecutors. North Macedonia’s government has ordered thorough inspections of all nightlife venues to prevent future calamities.
Similar incidents have occurred globally, with pyrotechnics often identified as a trigger for nightclub fires. A notable incident occurred at the Colectiv club in Bucharest, Romania, in 2015, where 64 individuals perished.
