59 Die in North Macedonia Nightclub Fire

A fire broke out at Club Pulse, a nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia, early Sunday morning.

According to Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, 59 people died, and over 100 were injured.

The fire broke out at the club around 02:30 local time on Sunday.

About 500 people had gathered there for a concert by the popular hip-hop duo DNK.

According to the public prosecutor’s office, only one band member survived and is receiving treatment in the hospital.

Police have detained 15 people after the fire. Pance Toskovski stated that detainees will be questioned.

The minister said there are “grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption” linked to the fire.

He also said the venue was operating without a legal license.

According to Biljana Arsovska, spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office, the club had only one usable exit. The back door was locked and could not be used.

After the first on-site inspections, authorities found several “abnormalities” in the venue.

Arsovska stated, “There are deficiencies in the system for fire-extinguishing and the system for lightning.”

The nightclub, located 100 km east of Skopje, used to be a carpet warehouse.

It was described in local media as an “improvised nightclub.”

According to the initial report, Toskovski said the fire started when sparks from pyrotechnics hit the highly flammable ceiling.

Reports say that having only one way in and out of the club caused panic.

A video verified by the BBC shows people trying to put out the fire on the ceiling while the club was still crowded. Some people watched instead of leaving.

Helicopters flew some of the injured to hospitals in Skopje, about 100 km away.

Dr. Nebojsa Nastov said 27 people were taken to the Naum Ohridski clinic.

Reactions on the Incident

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said it was a “difficult and very sad day” for the country. He added that many “young lives” were lost.

North Macedonia’s President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said she was deeply shocked by the tragedy.

She described her feelings “as a mother, as a person, as a president.”

She also shared her sympathy with the grieving families, saying, “Your immense pain is mine too.”

In a statement, she stressed the need for proper safety measures.

She said, “No business or activity can function without standards and rules.”

The president urged action to prevent future disasters. “Let us not allow anyone to endanger the lives of innocent people again,” she added.

The government has announced seven days of national mourning and is holding an emergency meeting to investigate what happened.

Siljanovska-Davkova said the seriously injured were being taken to specialist clinics in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Turkey for treatment.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called the incident “a tragedy of immense magnitude.”

He also worried that “many more people may not survive their injuries.”

European leaders have shared their condolences.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said the EU “stands in solidarity with the people of North Macedonia in this difficult time.”