A fire of devastating magnitude destroyed a nightclub in North Macedonia on Sunday, leading to the deaths of 59 people and causing injuries to 155 more during a concert. The disaster has drawn attention to the pervasive corruption within the Balkan nation, prompting authorities to apprehend 15 individuals.
As reported, 20 of the injured are critically wounded, and officials fear that the death toll could continue to climb. In light of the tragedy, the government has initiated a week-long period of national mourning.
The fire broke out before dawn in Kocani, an eastern town, resulting in a majority of young victims suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, and injuries from a chaotic rush towards the only exit. Among the casualties were individuals as young as 16.
Footage from the incident reveals that pyrotechnics ignited on stage, and soon after, chaos erupted as the attendees sought to flee the suffocating smoke, with band members urging them to exit swiftly.
Marija Taseva, aged 19, recounted to reporters the harrowing moments inside. As the fire spread at Club Pulse, she found herself unable to exit through blocked window bars, barely escaping the crush of the crowd as she fell and was nearly trampled. She emerged with facial injuries.
The inferno caused the partial collapse of the venue’s roof, exposing charred wooden structures and debris. In response, police sealed off the location for detailed evidence collection involving state prosecutors.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski disclosed that following initial inspections, 15 individuals were detained for inquiries after it was found that the nightclub operated without a valid license and hosted more than twice its legal capacity of 250 people. Concerns were raised regarding potential bribery and corruption but were not elaborated upon.
The event marks one of the most tragic occurrences in North Macedonia’s recent history and reflects a growing pattern of deadly nightclub fires globally. With a population under two million, the country has faced an outpouring of sympathy from European leaders and beyond, including Pope Francis and presidents like Ursula von der Leyen and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who mourned alongside North Macedonia.
Facing the overwhelming demand for medical care, the North Macedonian Health Ministry has accepted offers from neighboring countries like Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Turkey. In Greece’s Thessaloniki, three severely burned individuals are receiving treatment, with one undergoing surgery.
On an emotionally charged Sunday, family members gathered at hospitals and local offices in Kocani, seeking updates on loved ones. A grief-stricken resident, Dragi Stojanov, lamented the loss of his only son, Tomce, to the fire.
Visiting victims in hospital, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova expressed disbelief and urged for resilience in the face of the national tragedy.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski described the day as the hardest of his life and stressed the necessity of combatting corruption within the state, pledging to dismantle the entrenched system he encountered in politics.
In the aftermath, the government mandated comprehensive safety inspections of nightclubs throughout the nation over the ensuing days, reminiscent of similar tragic fires linked to pyrotechnics, including the 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire in Romania, which claimed 64 lives.
