A nightclub fire killed at least 59 people and hurt more than 155 others in North Macedonia, according to officials. The fire started around 2:30 AM local time at Pulse Club in Kocani, about 60 miles east of Skopje, the capital. Around 1,500 people packed the club for a concert by DNK, a popular hip-hop group in the country. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski called it "a difficult and very sad day" when many "young lives" were lost.
The police want to arrest four people, said interior minister Pance Toskovski at the scene, but he gave no details. They had already caught one man, and the state news agency Mia reported police took the club owner into custody. Toskovski mentioned early reports showed sparks from fireworks hit the ceiling, which burned quickly because it was made of something that caught fire easily.
Videos show the band playing when two flares shoot up. Sparks then hit the ceiling, and flames spread fast. People tried to put out the fire as the club stayed full. Many watched the fire-fighting attempts instead of leaving right away. Marija Taseva, age 20, told Channel 5 TV she fell and people stepped on her during the rush to escape. She made it out but her family still searches for her 25-year-old sister.
The minister first said 51 people died, with about 100 injured. He later shared that officials identified 35 of those who died. Local news reports say the government plans seven days of national mourning and will inspect all nightclubs and restaurants where large groups gather. The hospital director in Kocani said they struggled to identify patients because many had no ID cards. The dead ranged from ages 14 to 24, with eighteen patients in critical condition.
The prime minister stated his government "will do everything necessary to deal with the consequences and determine the causes of this tragedy." The band DNK formed in 2002 and has topped the music charts for the past ten years.
The police want to arrest four people, said interior minister Pance Toskovski at the scene, but he gave no details. They had already caught one man, and the state news agency Mia reported police took the club owner into custody. Toskovski mentioned early reports showed sparks from fireworks hit the ceiling, which burned quickly because it was made of something that caught fire easily.
Videos show the band playing when two flares shoot up. Sparks then hit the ceiling, and flames spread fast. People tried to put out the fire as the club stayed full. Many watched the fire-fighting attempts instead of leaving right away. Marija Taseva, age 20, told Channel 5 TV she fell and people stepped on her during the rush to escape. She made it out but her family still searches for her 25-year-old sister.
The minister first said 51 people died, with about 100 injured. He later shared that officials identified 35 of those who died. Local news reports say the government plans seven days of national mourning and will inspect all nightclubs and restaurants where large groups gather. The hospital director in Kocani said they struggled to identify patients because many had no ID cards. The dead ranged from ages 14 to 24, with eighteen patients in critical condition.
The prime minister stated his government "will do everything necessary to deal with the consequences and determine the causes of this tragedy." The band DNK formed in 2002 and has topped the music charts for the past ten years.
