A fire broke out in a nightclub in North Macedonia early Sunday, killing 51 people and injuring more than 100 others, authorities said.
Pyrotechnic devices sparked the fire at around 2:35 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kocani, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters.
“Sparks caused fire … and fire spread through the discotheque,” he said, according to Reuters.
The injured were rushed to hospitals across the country. Many of the injured suffered severe burns, officials said.
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Health Minister Arben Taravari said 118 people were hospitalized.
“All our capabilities have been put to use, in a maximum effort to save as many lives as possible of the young people involved in this tragedy,” Taravari told reporters, adding that neighboring countries Albania, Bulgaria and Greece have offered help.
The club was in an old building that was previously a carpet warehouse and has been running for several years, according to local media MKD.
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The blaze gutted the single-story building and caused the roof to partially collapse. Police cordoned off the area as teams gathered evidence from inside the building.
“This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable,” Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X.
“The people and the government will do everything in their power to at least slightly alleviate their pain and help them in these most difficult moments,” he continued.
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Toshkovski said authorities would investigate the venue’s licensing and safety provisions, adding that the government had a “moral responsibility” to help prosecute anyone responsible. Police have arrested one man already, but he didn’t provide details on the person’s involvement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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