Authorities say a fire broke out at a nightclub in North Macedonia early Sunday morning, killing 51 people and injuring more than 100 people.
The pyrotechnic device sparked the fire around 2:35am during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse Nightclub in the town of Kokani, Home Minister Panchetshikovsky told reporters.
“The sparks caused a fire…and the fire is spreading into the disco,” he said.
The injured were rushed to hospitals across the country. Many of the injured were severely burned, officials said.
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Firefighters will inspect nightclubs on Sunday after a massive fire in the town of Kokhani in North Macedonia. (AP Photo/Boris grdanoski)
Health Minister Aaven Tarabali said 118 people were hospitalized.
“All of our capabilities are being used in our utmost effort to save as many lives as possible of the young people involved in this tragedy,” Tarabari told reporters, adding that neighboring countries Albania, Bulgaria and Greece are offering help.
The fire partially collapsed the roof of the Single Story Nightclub. (Reuters/ognen teofilovski)
The club is located 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 flames destroyed the single-storey building, causing partial collapse of the roof. The team gathered evidence from inside the building, and police ousted the area.
Emergency responders gather outside the nightclub on March 16, 2025, following a fatal fire in the town of Kokhani in northern Macedonia. (Reuters/ognen teofilovski)
“This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of our families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable,” Prime Minister Fristijan Mikoski wrote in X.
“The people and the government do everything in their power to at least reduce their pain at least slightly and help them in these most difficult moments,” he continued.
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Toshkovski said the authorities had “moral responsibility” to investigate the venue's license and safety clauses and to help the government prosecute the responsible person. Police have already arrested one man, but he has not provided details about his involvement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
