Nightclub Fire in North Macedonia Kills 59, Injures Over 150

• At least 59 people were killed and over 155 injured after a fire broke out during a concert at Pulse nightclub in Kocani.
• Pyrotechnic sparks are believed to have ignited the club’s flammable ceiling as 1,500 people attended the event.
• Authorities have issued arrest warrants for four individuals, including the club’s owner, as investigations continue.

At least 59 people have died and more than 155 others were injured in a devastating nightclub fire in North Macedonia, officials have confirmed.

The fire broke out around 02:30 local time (01:30 GMT) at the Pulse club in Kocani, a town located about 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje. Approximately 1,500 people were attending a concert by DNK, a popular local hip-hop duo, when the blaze erupted.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski described the incident as a “difficult and very sad day” for the nation, mourning the loss of many “young lives.”

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Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, speaking at the scene, announced that arrest warrants had been issued for four individuals, though he did not disclose their identities. One arrest had already been made, and state news agency MIA reported that the club’s owner was among those detained.

Preliminary investigations suggest that sparks from pyrotechnic devices ignited the club’s highly flammable ceiling. Video footage shows DNK performing on stage as flares go off, with sparks quickly setting the ceiling ablaze. Guests were seen attempting to douse the flames, while many remained inside as the fire spread.

Marija Taseva, 20, told Channel 5 TV that she was caught in a stampede as panicked clubgoers rushed for the exits. She said she was knocked to the ground and trampled before managing to escape. Her family is still searching for her 25-year-old sister, who may have been transferred to Skopje for treatment, as she has not been located in local hospitals.

Earlier, the interior minister reported a death toll of 51, with about 100 injured, but later updated the figures. Thirty-five victims have been identified so far, and Kocani’s hospital director noted difficulties in identifying patients due to a lack of ID cards. Victims were reportedly between the ages of 14 and 24.

Eighteen patients remain in critical condition.

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Prime Minister Mickoski pledged that the government is “fully mobilised” to respond to the disaster, both in managing its aftermath and investigating its cause.

DNK, formed in 2002, has remained a prominent name in the North Macedonian music scene for over a decade.

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