A massive fire ripped through a nightclub in North Macedonia’s eastern town of Kocani on Sunday morning, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 100 others, local officials reported.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters that the blaze broke out at around 2:35 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse nightclub.
“Pyrotechnics caused the roof to catch fire,” he said.
Videos showed chaos inside the club, with people running through the smoke as the musicians urged the crowd to escape as quickly as possible.
Officials said the injured were taken to hospitals across the country, with many suffering from severe burns. Multiple volunteer organizations assisted with the rescue efforts.
Health Minister Arben Taravari reported that 118 people were hospitalized. He added that neighboring countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, and Greece, had offered assistance.
This is the worst tragedy in recent memory to strike the landlocked nation, which has a population of less than 2 million.
2050**4353
Your Comment