Authorities say Kokani (AP) in northern North Macedonia – Authorities say a massive fire broke out at a nightclub in the northern North Macedonian town of Kokani on Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring 155 people.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters that the fire broke out at a concert at a local pop music club at about 2:30 a.m. He said that so far, 39 people have been confirmed.
He said that after preliminary assessment, pyrotechnic technology may have caused the roof to catch fire. The video shows chaos inside the club, with young people running in the smoke as musicians urge people to escape as soon as possible.
Kokani resident Dragi Stojanov was told that his 21-year-old son Tomce was dead in the fire as relatives gathered outside the hospital for news.
“He is my only child. I no longer need my life,” he said. “One hundred and fifty families were destroyed.”
Officials said the injured have been taken to hospitals across the country, including in the capital Skopje, where many suffered severe burns. Several volunteer organizations are assisting in the efforts.
Health Minister Arben Taravari said 118 people had been hospitalized, adding that he received assistance from neighboring countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.
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“All our abilities have put in the best efforts to save as much life as possible,” Taravari told reporters.
This is the worst tragedy in recent memory, which falls in the landlocked country with a population of less than 2 million.
President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited the burn victim at a hospital in Skopje and spoke with parents waiting outside the building.
“It’s so scary…it’s hard to believe how this happened,” she said. “We have to keep the courage of these young people going.”
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote in an online post: “It has been a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. Losing so much of life in youth is irreparable, and the pain of family, family and friends is immeasurable.”
Family members gathered in front of the hospital and city offices in Kocani, about 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of Skopje, begging authorities for more information.
According to local media MKD, the club is in an old building that was formerly a carpet warehouse and has been in operation for several years.
The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to collapse, revealing the burnt remains of wooden beams and debris. Police blocked the site and sent out an evidence-based collection team in an operation involving state prosecutors.
A state prosecutor, Ljubco Kocevski, said police were questioned several people but gave no further details and stressed that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.
Interior Ministry officials said authorities will investigate the site’s permits and safety regulations, adding that the government has a “ethical responsibility” to help prosecute anyone responsible. Police have arrested a man, but he has not provided details about the person’s involvement.
As they awaken the news of the tragedy all night, the country’s direct neighbors and leaders from further parts of Europe condolences.
Kaja Kallas, the head of foreign policy at the EU, posted on X that she was “deeply sad” and said the G27 “shares the grief and pain of the people of North Macedonia.” North Macedonia is a candidate for EU membership.
Politicians in the region also provided sympathy to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the European Enlarged Commission, Marta Kos and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I hope those injured will recover quickly. Ukraine mourns with our Macedonian friends in the north on this sad day,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Fireworks are often the cause of deadly fires in nightclubs, including the Colectiv Club in Bucharest, Romania in 2015, in which 64 people died.
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