Northern Macedonian town shocked, officials sad as they investigate nightclub owners after deadly fire
Tomco Stojanov has already received devastating news when families gather outside the hospital for the latest news. His 25-year-old son Andrej died in a nightclub fire on Sunday, killing dozens of people, many of whom were trampled while desperately escaping.
Stokhanov said: “Thank you for your condolences, but my pain cannot be healed. The wound cannot be healed.”
North Macedonia is losing its life in the Sunday nightclub Inferno, a small eastern town of Kocani, while trying to hold those responsible and prevent another disaster.
During a live concert, the fire tore a ripped out of the overcrowded club pulse, killing 59 people, burns, inhaling inhaling and trampling more than 150 people, and in a panic escape towards the building’s single exit. Health Minister Arben Taravari said about 20 people were injured in critical condition.
Video shows the shimmering fireworks technology on the stage hit the club’s ceiling and ignited the fire as the band played.
The fire that rocked the country 2 million people – where close-knit large family bonds became a disaster for many – is the latest in a series of deadly nightclub fires around the world. The young people were casualties and the state announced to mourn for 7 days.
“We are all shocked, I am shocked: as a mother, as a person, as a person, as a person, as a president, as a person, as a president, as a president, as a person, as a president,” said North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska in his speech to the country on Sunday night.
Later Sunday, Kocani residents held a candlelight vigil to support mourning families, long lined up on the route to light church candles.
Violations of safety regulations
Authorities say they are investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the nightclub, which is packed with young revelers and stuffed them in twice the capacity. The North Macedonian government ordered a full three-day inspection at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country starting Monday.
State Attorney Ljupco Kocevski said preliminary inspections of the nightclub showed violations of many safety regulations, including the lack of emergency exits, insufficient number of fire extinguishers and the inability to access emergency vehicles.
The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to collapse, revealing the burnt remains of wooden beams and debris.
“The omission is significant. I can confidently say this is a failure of the system,” the prosecutor told reporters. He also pointed out the lack of elevated fire extinguisher systems and fire alarms and the use of flammable materials to deal with the interior walls.
The country is mourning as people look at the painful scenes in the town of 25,000, and rescuers continue for hours on their grim mission to remove the club’s signature bodies.
A state coroner said the bodies were taken to the Moorgian batch due to the massive number of killings.
Officials said 10 people were still detained by police in questioning Kocani, about 115 kilometers east of the capital Skopje. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski added that preliminary inspections show that the club operates without proper permits. He said the club has at least twice as many people as its official capacity as its 250.
European leaders and hospitalized Pope Francis’ offices were pouring in.
Nearby and nearby countries – Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Türkiye – and many other countries have already received about 50 patients with severe injuries.
“All patients who have been transferred abroad are in stable condition. We hope it will remain that way and we will receive positive news from abroad,” Taravari said.
