Nightclub fire kills nearly 60 (VIDEOS)

A fire and an ensuing stampede at a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia have claimed the lives of at least 59 people, with 155 more wounded. Local media quoted Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski as saying the blaze was caused by pyrotechnics used at the venue during a concert.

According to media reports, there were around 1,500 revelers inside ‘Pulse’ when the ceiling caught fire in the early hours of Sunday.

“The fire started around 2:30 AM [after] the Styrofoam on the ceiling caught fire from the fire crackers that were on stage,” Sakam Da Kazam media outlet wrote, citing a survivor. The man told reporters that this was followed by an explosion that caused the roof to cave in.

“After that, we all rushed to get out, we all ran towards one door, it was for both entry and exit,” he said.

The single-story building previously served as a carpet warehouse, before being transformed into a nightclub several years ago, media reports claim.

According to survivors, panic quickly set in as people ran for the single exit, resulting in a stampede.

Sakam Da Kazam reported that the victims were aged 14 to 25, with dozens of survivors hospitalized with crush injuries, as well as carbon monoxide poisoning and burns. Twenty people who are in critical condition will be transferred to neighboring Bulgaria, Türkiye, Greece, and Serbia for treatment, Health Minister Arben Taravari announced.

Toshkovski told the media that an “arrest warrant has been issued for four people,” without specifying their identities. He added that the authorities will review the nightclub’s licensing and safety provisions.

The North Macedonian government has declared seven days of mourning in the wake of the tragedy.