Dozens of people have died and nearly 100 were injured in a nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, early Sunday, several media outlets reported, citing medical and police sources.
Local outlet Radio Kocani reported the blaze broke out around 3:00 a.m. during a concert by the band DNK at the “Puls” nightclub. Emergency crews from the Territorial Fire Protection Service responded, but their efforts, along with those of medical teams, were insufficient to save everyone. Civilians also assisted with rescue efforts, using private vehicles to transport victims.
According to Sloboden Pecat, citing Dr. Kristina Serafimova, director of Kocani’s hospital, several people died in the fire, though she declined to give an exact number, saying a public prosecutor had prohibited her from doing so.
“Of the injured, around 60 patients have been transferred to a hospital in Stip, while 30 remain here,” Serafimova told Sloboden Pecat.
The news portal Sakam da Kazam reported that about 30 people had died, citing initial information from the Directorate for Protection and Rescue and the Crisis Management Center. According to these sources, around 100 people were injured, most of them young.
Stojanche Angelov, head of the Crisis Management Center, said he was in Kocani alongside Interior Minister Pance Toshkovski and Public Security Bureau Director Aleksandar Janev, gathering information before releasing an official statement.
According to Kanal 5, the Interior Ministry is detaining all individuals linked to the organization of the event at the private nightclub.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) confirmed that all relevant services, including a prosecutor from the Kocani Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, are at the scene, working to determine the number of casualties and injured.
“Investigative actions are still underway. The Public Prosecutor of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as prosecutors from the Skopje PPO and the Organized Crime and Corruption PPO, are en route to Kocani. All resources of the prosecution offices will be made available for an urgent investigation,” the PPO said.
This is a developing story.
