At least 59 people have died in the fire of a crowded disco in, in the early hours of this Sunday, according to the latest figures offered by the Ministry of Interior of the country, while another 150 have been injured.
The fire was declared around 03:00 in the morning (the same time in Peninsular Spain) at the Pulse disco, in the town of Kocani (about 100 kilometers east of the capital, Skopje) in which some 1,500 people were, especially young people, to attend a concert of the local DNK band. The MK.MK news portal ensures that the first information indicates that the fire was caused by the improper use of pyrotechnics inside the room, which caused some sparks to turn on the roof and trigger the incident.
The authorities have arrested about twenty people in relation to this event, including several government officials and the manager of the disco, who lacked license, has reported at a press conference the interior minister of the country, Pance Toskovski. “We have reasons to suspect that in this case there was corruption,” said the minister without offering more details.
Ognen Teofilovski (Reuters)
After the fire began, panic took place in the disco and a stampede. Many of the victims died suffocated by smoke, while others died of burns. Among the injured are some members of the band that offered the concert.
Many parents look for their children through social networks, where they place their photos and ask for information about whether someone has seen them in a clinic where the injured were sent.
The Macedonian Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, has announced that he will postpone a scheduled work trip for Monday to Podgorica, in Montenegro. Mickoski will also request the postponement of the leaders of the Western Balkans, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Podgorica, reports his office.
