At least 59 killed in nightclub fire in North Macedonia

A fire broke out overnight in a nightclub in North Macedonia, killing at least 59 people and injuring 155 others, the country's interior minister, Panche Toshkovski, said on Sunday. The fire, the biggest national calamity in recent memory, has devastated the little country in southeastern Europe.

Hundreds of people had gathered at the 'Pulse' nightclub in Kochani, east of the capital Skopje, to see local group DNK play when the fire broke out early Sunday morning. According to reports, many members of the group's band were slain, including Andrej Gjorgieski, one of DNK's main singers.

Andrej Lazarov, a football player, was confirmed to be among the fatalities by his club FC Shkupi in an Instagram post on Sunday. Lazarov was 25.

Dr. Kristina Serafimova, the head of Kochani General Hospital, stated that the victims' ages vary from 16 to 24. The bulk of those killed were trampled in the mob crush, she noted.

The death toll might potentially grow. The health minister, Arben Taravari, told reporters that 20 individuals were in serious condition, and others were being sent to neighboring nations' hospitals.

Police apprehended the nightclub's owner on Sunday morning, according to MIA, and the country's Justice Minister, Igor Filkov, has stated that all those involved in the tragedy will face consequences.

Later on Sunday, Toshkovski informed reporters that 20 suspects had been identified in connection with the fire, 15 of whom had been detained, according to the MIA.

He said that the corporation that managed the club lacked a license. He also stated that numerous past and present officials have been detained in connection with the matter.

“This license — as many other things in the past in Macedonia — is connected to bribery and corruption,” he said. "But I want to tell the Macedonian public that, unlike other times in the past, the people that issue these illegal licenses will be named and be held responsible for it."

Mr. Toshkovski stated that around 500 individuals had entered the club, but only 250 tickets had been offered by the club in Kocani, which is roughly 50 miles east of the capital, Skopje. The fire raced through the club in the eastern town of Kocani during a pop event, he claimed, adding that pyrotechnics set the roof ablaze.

A police officer died while on duty at the club looking for narcotics or underage visitors, he added.

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said it was a “difficult and very sad day.”

“The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, while the pain of our families, our close ones and our friends is immeasurable,” he wrote on X.

Pope Francis also sent his "deep" sympathies to the victims' families, promising them in a telegram sent on his behalf that those who died would be remembered in prayer.

The catastrophe is one of the deadliest nightclub fires in over a decade. In 2015, a packed nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, went up in flames when fireworks were set off during a concert, killing 64 people.

Two years ago, a fire broke out at a nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil, killing around 240 people. When the fire broke out, pyrotechnics were also in use inside the club.

North Macedonia's government has proclaimed a week of national mourning and ordered a three-day examination of all nightclubs.

“Everyone involved in this tragic event and knowingly contributed to endangering human lives will be brought before the justice authorities and will be held accountable,” the government said in a statement.