Fifty-one people were killed and more than 100 injured when a fire broke out in a nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said.
The blaze is said to have started around 02:30 (01:30 GMT) at the Pulse club in Kocani, a town around 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje. Footage posted on social media shows the building engulfed in flames.
As many as 1,500 were said to have been attending a concert by the band DNK, a hip-hop duo popular in the country.
The fire was caused by “pyrotechnic devices” used during a concert, Toskovski said.
“Sparks caused fire … and fire spread through the discotheque,” he said.
A video from the event shows a band playing on stage flanked by two flares firing white sparks into the air. The sparks set the ceiling alight above the band, who appear to step away as the video cuts.
North Macedonia’s MRT public broadcaster reported that 27 people were hospitalized at the Skopje City Hospital with severe burns, and another 23 were being treated at the Clinical Center. Among the injured were minors, it said.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said in a post on Facebook: “This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia! The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable.”
“I call on all competent institutions – health services, relevant authorities – to take urgent measures to assist the injured and support the families.”
