Dozens of families have been left devastated after a fire ripped through a nightclub as a local pop group performed.
Children as young as 16 were among the casualties after the ceiling caught fire at Club Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
59 people have died and 155 have suffered injuries caused by burns, smoke inhalation, or being trampled during the panicked rush to the club’s only exit.
Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said more than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were under the age of 18.
Fearful family members gathered outside hospitals after casualties were sent to four different facilities across the country, including in the capital, Skopje, 70 miles away.
Dragi Stojanov was waiting outside the hospital in Kocani when he was told his 21-year-old son, Tomce, had died.
He said: ‘He was my only child. I don’t need my life anymore. 150 families have been devastated.
‘Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). And the bosses (of organized crime), just putting money into their pockets.’
Police are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption at Club Pulse, which was at least double its official capacity when the fire started.
15 people have been detained for questioning so far, after initial inquiries found the club was operating without a proper licence.
The government announced a three-day inspection at every nightclub and cabaret in the country, starting from today.
One survivor, 19-year-old Marija Taseva, said she and others tried to escape through the bathroom only to find the windows were secured with metal bars.
‘I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me. I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe,’ she explained.
She suffered an injury to her face in the crush, and in the confusion, she lost contact with her sister, who died in the nightclub.
Simeon Sokolov, 50, found his daughter Anastasija in the emergency ward of the September 8 hospital in the capital Skopje, where she was being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
‘I just know that there are many children who have suffered. Doctors are doing their job and the number is big.’
Kocani residents held a candlelit vigil in support for mourning families late on Sunday night, with queues out of the church doors to light candles.
Resident Mihail Gavrilov said: ‘(I knew) 5 or 6, one of those was killed. It’s devastating for the entire city and the entire country.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
