London and Belgrade – Dozens of people are estimated to have died in a fire at a nightclub in the southern city of Kokani in Northern Macedonia, local authorities said on Sunday.
The Associated Press reported that 51 people were killed and at least 118 hospitalized in the incident, citing the Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski to the journalists.
A dashboard operator at the Cokani General Hospital told ABC News: “This is a catastrophic tragedy.”
They did not provide additional information on the number or condition of the victims.
The emergency responses work outside the nightclub after a fire leading to casualties in the town of Kokani, Northern Macedonia, March 16, 2025.
Ognien Teofilovski/Reuters
The DNK Band manager, who appeared at the nightclub when the fire broke out, told ABC News that the place had a maximum capacity of 500 to 700 people.
The group, which consists of eight members, presented themselves during the fire, and some of them were injured, the manager said.
As more details appeared on the incident, the families of the young people who attended the concert – some of them minors – appealed for information on social media, sharing telephone numbers and personal data in the hope that they are still missing, can be found.
The blaze started around 2:35 am, Toshkovski said, saying that the roof of the place was set on fire by the pyrotechnics used by Clubbers.
Toshkovski said the police arrested a man but did not give more details.
This photo shows a view of a burned nightclub, inside which a fire broke out and killed 51 people in Kokani, a city about 100 kilometers east of the capital Skopje, on March 16, 2025.
Robert Atanasovsky/AFP via Getty Images
Northern Macedonia Prime Minister Christian Mikoski wrote to X, “the loss of such young lives is irreparable, and the pain of families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable.”
“The government is completely mobilized and will do everything necessary to cope with the consequences and determine the causes of this tragedy,” Mikoski added. “In these times of deep sadness, when our hearts are broken by pain because of this terrible tragedy, I call for unity, solidarity, humanity and responsibility.”
Among those who offered condolences from abroad was Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski. “I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery,” he wrote in a post of X. “Ukraine sorrows with our [North] Macedonian friends on this sad day. “
Albanian Prime Minister Eddie Rama said his nation is ready “provides any assistance that may be needed.”
The European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos told X that she was “deep saddened” by the “horrible tragedy”.
This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.
Somayeh Malekian on ABC News has contributed to this report.
