Approximately 59 concertgoers are dead, while over 100 others were injured in a devastating nightclub fire over the weekend.
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According to MIA News, the tragic incident occurred at the Pulse Club in the city of Kočani in North Macedonia at around 3 a.m. local time on Sunday. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski confirmed the situation during a press conference.
The minister revealed that sparks from pyrotechnics had caused the nightclub fire during a concert. The local pop group ADN was performing. The injured concertgoers were transported to numerous hospitals throughout the country. Among the injuries were “severe burns.”
“Everyone who made a mistake will bear responsibility,” Toshkovski explained. “Of course, an autopsy will have to be performed to identify the deceased. We have deceased people in several hospitals.”
Health Minister Arben Taravari further confirmed that the injured are being cared for. He did not reveal their conditions and said there was “no need” for foreign assistance at this time.
The Associated Press also reported that concertgoers as young as 16 were among the injured.
A Witness Revealed There Were Bars on the Bathroom Windows, Making It Difficult to Escape the Nightclub Fire
A witness of the devastating nightclub fire spoke to AP about the tragic incident, stating that getting out of the building was extremely difficult.
“We even tried to get out through the toilet,” one witness, Marija Taseva, shared. “To find bars [on the windows]. I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs, and they ran over me, trampled me.”
Taseva then said, “I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe.”
Toshkovski further shared that approximately 15 people were detained for questioning following a preliminary inspection that revealed the nightclub was operating without the proper license.
“We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,” Toshkovski pointed out. He also said that the nightclub had at least doubled its official capacity of 250 at the time of the fire.