Dozens killed in nightclub fire in North Macedonia

A massive fire which tore through a nightclub in North Macedonia’s eastern town of Kocani has killed 59 people and injured about 155 others.

Interior minister Panche Toshkovski said the blaze began at about 2.35am local time on Sunday during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse venue. He said 39 of the victims have so far been identified and 18 of those injured are in a critical condition.

Following an initial assessment, he said pyrotechnics are likely to have caused the roof to catch fire.

He said 15 people had been detained for questioning after a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper licence. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.

“We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,” he told reporters without elaborating.

Videos on social media of the incident showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the ceiling followed by scenes of chaos inside the club, with young people running through the smoke as the musicians urged people, some as young as 16, to escape as quickly as possible.

“We even tried to get out through the toilet, to find bars (on the windows),” Marija Taseva, 19, told The Associated Press.

“I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me … I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe.”

She suffered an injury to her face.

As relatives gathered outside hospitals to await news, Kocani resident Dragi Stojanov was informed that his 21-year-old son Tomce had died in the fire.

“He was my only child,” he said. “I don’t need my life anymore… 150 families have been devastated.”

Officials said the injured have been taken to hospitals around the country, including the capital Skopje, many with severe burns.

President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited burn victims at a hospital in Skopje and spoke to parents waiting outside the building.

“It’s terrible… hard to believe how this happened,” she said, her voice halting with emotion. “We must give these young people courage to continue.”

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X: “This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable.

“The people and the government will do everything in their power to at least slightly alleviate their pain and help them in these most difficult moments.”

Health minister Arben Taravari said he has received offers of assistance from neighbouring countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.

“All our capabilities have been put to use in a maximum effort to save as many lives as possible of the young people involved in this tragedy,” he told reporters, at times looking visibly shaken.

The club was in an old building that was previously a carpet warehouse and has been running for several years, according to local media.

The fire caused the roof of the single-storey building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. Police cordoned off the site and sent in evidence-gathering teams in an operation also involving state prosecutors.

Mr Toshkovski said police have arrested one man but he did not provide details on the person’s alleged involvement. He said authorities will investigate the venue’s licensing and safety provisions, adding the government has a “moral responsibility” to help prosecute anyone responsible.

A state prosecutor, Ljubco Kocevski, said several people are being questioned by police but gave no further details and stressed the cause of the blaze is still being investigated.

Condolences have poured in from leaders around Europe, as well as from the office of Pope Francis, who has been in hospital for the last month with pneumonia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X: “I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our Macedonian friends on this sad day.”