North Macedonia mourns 50+ killed in nightclub fire
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The fire started after sparks from a pyrotechnic device lit the easily flammable roof on fire, after which the fire quickly spread across the building.
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A cyclist rides past North Macedonia flags flapping in the wind at half-staff in front of a Government building following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, Skopje, North Macedonia, on Monday, March 17, 2025 (AP)
North Macedonia mourned on Monday the dozens of young people killed in the fire that ravaged the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, killing more than 50 people on the weekend.
The blaze, which started on Sunday, killed 59 concertgoers and injured 155, prompting the North Macedonian government to announce a seven-day mourning period. The country fell into grief, and authorities launched an investigation into the incident.
The fire broke out as a crowd of young fans gathered at Club Pulse for a performance by the popular hip-hop duo DNK, seemingly sparked by onstage fireworks. Andrej Gjorgjieski, a member of DNK was killed, in addition to a guitarist, a drummer, and a backup singer, while the other member of the duo Andrej Gjorgjieski was injured.
According to Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, over 20 people were under investigation for the incident, with 15 already in police custody and the rest receiving treatment in the hospital, while four arrest warrants were issued following the arrest of the club owner. The suspects include the owner of the club, the event organizer, and people responsible for security, as well as a former director of rescue services and a state secretary at the Ministry of Economy.
Toskovski stated that the fire was most likely ignited by pyrotechnic devices “used for light effect at the concert," adding that “at the moment of activating the so-called sprinklers, the sparks caught the ceiling that was made of easily flammable material, after which, in a very short period of time, the fire spread across the whole discotheque, creating thick smoke.”
"Let us unite our forces, let us not allow anyone else to sacrifice standards for profit, nothing is more valuable than the lives of young people," the North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska told the country on Sunday.
North Macedonia’s MRT public broadcaster reported that 27 people with severe burns were hospitalized at Skopje city hospital, while another 23 were receiving treatment at the clinical center, with children also among the injured, while the head of the Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, stated that many of the deceased sustained injuries during the chaotic stampede as people panicked while trying to escape.
Videos posted on social networks, recorded before the fire, showed the presence of "stage fountains," a type of indoor fireworks used during performances, while other footage captured massive flames engulfing the building, a two-story white structure in Kocani.
NIGHTCLUB FIRE KILLS 59—PYROTECHNICS TO BLAME🚨🇲🇰
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) March 16, 2025
🔥A fire at Pulse nightclub in North Macedonia killed 59 and injured 150 after pyrotechnics ignited the ceiling. Panic broke out as people rushed to escape.
The club owner is arrested, and authorities are hunting four more. pic.twitter.com/hkn4z3Xc8n
