At least 51 people have died, and more than 100 others have been injured in a fire that broke out at a nightclub in North Macedonia, officials have confirmed.
The fire reportedly began around 02:30 local time (01:30 GMT) at the Pulse club in Kocani, a town located approximately 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje. Social media footage shows the building engulfed in flames.
Around 1,500 people were said to be attending a concert by DNK, a popular hip-hop duo in the country, at the time of the blaze.
Interior Minister Pance Toskovski stated that, according to initial reports, the fire was ignited by sparks from pyrotechnic devices. These sparks reportedly struck the ceiling, which was made of highly flammable material, causing the fire to quickly spread throughout the club. Some arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Video footage captured the band performing on stage when two flares went off, sparking a fire that rapidly consumed the ceiling and spread throughout the venue.
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski expressed in a statement on Facebook that the government was “fully mobilized” and would take all necessary steps to address the aftermath and investigate the cause of the disaster.
