Nightclub fire in North Macedonia kills 59, Injures 155—pyrotechnics blamed

Fifty-nine people have died, and 155 were injured after a fire tore through a nightclub in North Macedonia, with the country’s Interior Minister blaming pyrotechnics.

Hundreds had gathered at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kochani, east of the capital Skopje, to watch local act DNK perform when the blaze broke out.

Several members of the band are reported to be among those killed, including Andrej Gjorgieski, one of DNK’s lead singers.

The ages of the victims range from 16 to 24, according to Dr. Kristina Serafimova, head of Kochani General Hospital. She told state media outlet MIA that the majority of those who died were trampled in the crowd crush.

Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski announced that the fire was caused by pyrotechnics used for lighting effects at the concert, which activated the sprinklers.

Video footage from inside the venue shows a band performing as pyrotechnic devices shoot sparks at the front of the stage.

Football player Andrej Lazarov was also confirmed to be among the deceased, his club FC Shkupi announced in an Instagram post on Sunday. Lazarov was 25.

Police detained the nightclub owner on Sunday morning, and 20 suspects have been identified in connection with the fire, 15 of whom have been detained.

[Source: CNN]