Dozens dead, more than 150 injured in North Macedonia nightclub fire

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A fire broke out in a nightclub in North Macedonia early Sunday, killing dozens of people and injuring more than 150 others, authorities said.

Pyrotechnic devices sparked the fire at around 2:35 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kocani, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters. 

The ensuing chaos left 59 people dead and 155 injured, including 20 critically, from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked escape toward the building’s single exit. People as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning.

"We even tried to get out through the bathroom, only to find bars (on the windows)," 19-year-old Marija Taseva 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." 

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Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, on Sunday, March 16, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday.  (AP/Visar Kryeziu)

Law enforcement arrested 20 people in connection with the fire, including the manager of the nightclub – which did not have a valid license – and local government officials, Reuters quoted Toskovski as saying. The news agency reported that 500 people were inside the building at the time of the blaze. 

North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said Sunday night, "We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president."

"I still cannot believe that the terrible tragedy in Kocani is a reality. I do not know with what words to express my condolences to the parents and loved ones of the deceased," she added. "No one responsible should escape the law, justice and punishment! Let us not allow anyone to endanger the lives of innocent people anymore."

The injured – many of whom suffered severe burns – were rushed to hospitals across the country, officials said.

A police officer walks next to the damaged Pulse nightclub, following a fire that resulted in dozens of deaths in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia. (Reuters/Fedja Grulovic/TPX Images of the Day)

"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," Health Minister Arben Taravari told reporters, adding that neighboring countries Albania, Bulgaria and Greece have offered help.

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

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People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani following the fire. (AP/Armin Durgut)

The blaze gutted the single-story building and caused the roof to partially collapse. Police cordoned off the area as teams gathered evidence from inside the building.

"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," Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X.

Authorities said they are investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the nightclub, according to the Associated Press. North Macedonia’s government ordered a sweeping three-day inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting Monday.

A man cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani following the fire. (AP/Armin Durgut)

Toshkovski said authorities would investigate the venue’s licensing and safety provisions, adding that the government had a "moral responsibility" to help prosecute anyone responsible. 

A state prosecutor said a preliminary inspection of the nightclub revealed numerous safety code violations including a lack of emergency exits, an insufficient number of fire extinguishers, and improper access for emergency vehicles, among others.

Waiting outside the hospital in Kocani, Dragi Stojanov was among those who received the dreaded news that his 21-year-old son Tomce had perished.

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"He was my only child. I don’t need my life anymore.... 150 families have been devastated," he told reporters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.