Belgrade, Mar. 16, (dpa/GNA) – Fifty-nine people have died and 155 have been injured in a nightclub fire in North Macedonia, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said at a press conference on Sunday in the town of Kočani, where the tragedy occurred.
Earlier reports from the minister had indicated 51 fatalities and more than 100 injured.
The fire broke out at around 2:30 am (0130 GMT) on Sunday when the popular local band DNK was performing at the nightclub Puls, the minister said.
A spark machine used for lighting effects triggered the fire, according to the current state of investigations, he said, adding that the sparks ignited the ceiling construction, which was made of highly flammable material.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the disaster, including the concert organizers.
At the time of the catastrophe, 1,500 mainly young people were present in the nightclub.
Media in North Macedonia reported dramatic scenes. Desperate parents were searching for their children with photos on social media platforms.
Local people assisted with their own cars and followed ambulances to transport seriously injured people to hospital.
The hospital in Kočani, a town with a population of 25,000, quickly became overwhelmed. Ambulances also took injured people to the larger town of Štip as well as to the capital Skopje.
The dead identified at the Kočani hospital were all between the ages of 14 and 24, its director Kristina Serafimova told the media.
One of DNK’s members was also reportedly taken to hospital with injuries. Little is known about the condition of the other band members, but one musician has been registered as missing.
Toskovski assured the press that anyone bearing criminal responsibility would be held accountable. He added: “Each of us should feel a moral responsibility. I do not know any normal person who would not have a moral responsibility.”
The MIA news agency reported that the government plans to order a seven-day period of national mourning.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X: “In these moments of deep sorrow, our thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones.” He added that the government would do everything necessary to deal with the consequences of the tragedy and investigate its causes.
Messages of condolence also came from abroad, with Pope Francis saying that he would include those who died in his prayers.
Neighbouring Bulgaria offered to treat the injured in its hospitals and to send military helicopters for transport.
Mass disasters are not uncommon in south-eastern Europe. They are almost always caused by human error, disregard of safety regulations and the complicity of corrupt state supervisory agencies. At the same time, they often lead to political upheavals.
Toskovski did not say whether the owner of the club had been detained, citing the ongoing investigation. According to media reports, the club has a licence that is valid until March 24.
The disaster in Kočani particularly recalls the fire disaster in October 2015 at the Colectiv nightclub in the Romanian capital Bucharest.
In that fire and the ensuing mass panic, 64 people were killed and 147 others were injured. The then Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta soon after declared his resignation following massive protests.
GNA