Officials raise death toll from nightclub fire to at least 59
The death toll from the fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia, has risen from 51 to at least 59 people, the country’s interior minister, Pance Toskovski, has said in an updated casualty count.
“According to the information that we have there are 59 persons deceased of which 35 are identified,” Toskovski said. “The number of wounded according to latest information up to noon (1100 GMT) is 155 people,” he added.
31 of the identified people who were killed in the fire were residents of Kočani, the eastern town where the concert took place, while another four were from the town of Stip nearby, the minister said.
Key events
Helena Smith
Helena Smith is the Guardian’s Athens-based correspondent
Markos Trosanovski, a political commentator in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, said the entire nation had been plunged “into profound shock over this tragedy”.
While it was clear that the nightclub was well over capacity at the time of the concert, the government had responded immediately to the disaster, he said.
Trosanovski told the Guardian:
The response on the part of the authorities has been instant.
But there were institutional failures, the nightclub was well over capacity and it appears there were not enough fire extinguishers which would have been necessary for it to have been granted a license.
Summary of what we know so far…
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Arrest warrants have been issued for four people in connection with the nightclub fire in North Macedonia that killed at least 59 people and injured about 155 others.
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The interior minister said police had arrested one man, but did not provide details about his involvement.
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The blaze began at around 02.35am (01.35 GMT) on Sunday morning during a concert at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, a town around 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje.
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Initial reports suggest as many as 1,500 people – mostly young – attended the concert by DNK, a hip-hop duo popular in the country.
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The interior minister said some of the young clubgoers used pyrotechnics that caused the roof to catch fire.
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Prime Minister Hristijan Mickosk expressed “deep sadness” about the “tragedy” of the nightclub fire, saying the loss of so many young lives is “irreparable”.
North Macedonia issues four arrest warrants over Pulse nightclub fire
The interior minister has also said that authorities in North Macedonia have issued four arrest warrants over the deadly nightclub fire.
Panche Toshkivski says police are thoroughly investigating the cause of the fire and will hold those responsible to account.
Officials raise death toll from nightclub fire to at least 59
The death toll from the fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia, has risen from 51 to at least 59 people, the country’s interior minister, Pance Toskovski, has said in an updated casualty count.
“According to the information that we have there are 59 persons deceased of which 35 are identified,” Toskovski said. “The number of wounded according to latest information up to noon (1100 GMT) is 155 people,” he added.
31 of the identified people who were killed in the fire were residents of Kočani, the eastern town where the concert took place, while another four were from the town of Stip nearby, the minister said.
European leaders offer assistance and extend sympathies to North Macedonia
Helena Smith
Helena Smith is the Guardian’s Athens-based correspondent
Greece, Bulgaria and Albania have been quick to offer assistance to authorities in North Macedonia.
In a post on X, the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, wrote:
Heartfelt condolences to the people of North Macedonia for the lives lost in the tragic fire in Kočani.
My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Greece stands ready to assist in this difficult time.
In a further show of support from the EU, Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, announced that the 27-member bloc “stands in solidarity with the people of North Macedonia in this moment of grief”.
“Heartbroken by the loss of so many young people in the terrible fire in Kočani. My thoughts go out to all the families of the victims of this tragedy,” he said in a statement posted on X.
North Macedonia’s public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski has said five prosecutors would investigate the fire.
“At the moment, orders have been issued for collecting of evidence” and some people were being interviewed, Kocevski said.
One man has been arrested, the interior minister Pance Toskovski said earlier without providing further details.
Videos circulating on social media show chaotic scenes inside the Pulse nightclub, with young people running through the smoke as the popular hip-hop duo DNK, who were performing on stage, urged people to escape as quickly as possible.
Marta Kos, the European commissioner for enlargement, has offered her thoughts with the victims of the fire in Kočani, writing in a post on X:
Deeply saddened by the tragic fire in Kočani North Macedonia, which claimed lives of too many young people.
My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the whole of North Macedonia during this terrible tragedy!
“I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our (North) Macedonian friends on this sad day,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, posted on X that she was “deeply saddened” and said the 27-nation bloc “shares the grief and pain of the people of North Macedonia.
Here are some of the latest images coming out from the newswires following the deadly fire in North Macedonia:
Relatives of some of the victims have gathered in front of hospitals and Kočani’s city offices asking authorities for more information, according to reports.
As a reminder, Kočani is a small town of around 30,000 people about 60 miles (100km) east of the capital, Skopje.
We have some more comments from interior minister Pance Toskovski that are being carried by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
Toskovski said the fire was probably caused by the use of pyrotechnic devices “used for light effect at the concert”.
“At the moment of activating the so-called sprinklers, the sparks caught the ceiling that was made of easily flammable material after which for a very short period of time the fire spread across the whole discotheque, creating a thick smoke” he was quoted as having told reporters.
Officials confirm at least 51 people were killed in nightclub fire
Interior minister Pance Toskovski has confirmed that at least 51 people were killed and over 100 others were injured in the nightclub fire in North Macedonia.
“According to the data we have by now, 51 persons lost their lives, and more than 100 persons are injured and transported in the hospitals in Stip, Kočani and Skopje,” he said after visiting the scene in Kočani.
North Macedonia’s MRT public broadcaster reported earlier that 27 people were hospitalised at the Skopje city hospital with severe burns, while another 23 were being treated at the Clinical Centre.
Loss of so many young lives in the ‘tragedy’ of nightclub fire is ‘irreparable’ – prime minister
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickosk has expressed “deep sadness” about the “tragedy” of the nightclub fire. He said the loss of so many young lives is “irreparable” as he extended his condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed in the blaze.
Mickosk wished those injured a speedy recovery and said the government is “fully mobilised” to help determine the cause of the fire.
“I call on all competent institutions – health services, police, local authorities – to take urgent measures to assist the injured and support the affected families,” he said in a statement posted to Facebook.
“During the day, after reviewing the circumstances from the competent institutions, I will address the public with more information about the steps taken,” the prime minister added.
“In these times of deep sadness, when our hearts are broken with pain due to this terrible tragedy, I call for unity, solidarity, humanity and responsibility.”
Deadly fire may have been caused by the use of pyrotechnics – interior minister
North Macedonian interior minister, Pance Toskovski, has been speaking to journalists at a press conference following the deadly nightclub fire.
The concert, attended by as many as 1,500 fans, at the Pulse club was full of mainly young people.
Toskovski said some of the young clubgoers used pyrotechnics that caused the roof to catch fire, according to the Associated Press.
He told the press conference that police have arrested one man, but didn’t provide details on the person’s involvement. We have not been able to independently verify this information yet.
At least 50 people killed in North Macedonian nightclub fire – officials
At least 50 people have been killed in a nightclub fire in North Macedonia in the early hours of Sunday, according to the state news agency, citing the interior ministry. More than 100 people were said to have been injured.
The fire reportedly broke out around 02:35 (01:35 GMT) during a performance by hip-hop group ADN at the Pulse club in Kočani, a town around 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje.
The injured were taken either to the local hospital in Kočani or to Stip, about 20 miles south.
We will give you the latest updates on this breaking story throughout the day.
