A fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia left dozens dead.
CNN reports that on early Sunday morning (March 26), at around 3 a.m., a blaze broke out at Pulse nightclub in Kochani. Footage of the incident appears to show the fire being sparked by on-stage pyrotechnics, as it traveled through the venue and engulfed the roof.
There were around 500 people at the club at the time of the incident, including local band DNK, who was performing. According to the outlet, 59 were killed and over 150 were injured.
The victims were 16 to 24 years old, and most of the 59 who died were trampled as everyone tried to escape. Included in the dead count were several members of DNK, including one of the lead singers, Andrej Gjorgieski, and North Macedonia’s FC Shkupi player, Andrej Lazarov.
“Most likely, sparks caught a part of the ceiling that was made of flammable material, causing the fire to spread to the entire discotheque in a short period of time, creating thick smoke,” Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said.
At least 152 of those injured were hospitalized, some of whom suffered second-degree burns on their hands and faces.
Around twenty suspects were arrested late Sunday, including DNK members, the club owner’s son, and government officials. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski shared that the nightclub had acquired its license illegally from the economy ministry. He instituted 7 days of national mourning for those lost in the tragedy.