15 detained on suspicion of corruption after North Macedonia nightclub fire kills 59

A massive fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub in North Macedonia on Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring more than 150 others. The tragedy focused domestic attention on corruption in the small Balkan country as authorities detained 15 people.

The blaze broke out around 02:30 am CET during a concert by a local pop group at the club, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters. He said 39 of the dead had so far been identified.

Authorities warn the death toll may rise further, as 20 of those injured remain in critical condition. The government has declared seven days of national mourning to honour the victims of the tragedy.

The blaze in the eastern town of Kocani left mostly young people dead and injured due to burns, smoke inhalation and a stampede in the desperate effort to reach the building’s single exit, officials said. People as young as 16 were among the casualties.

“We even tried to get out through the bathroom, only to find bars (on the windows),” said Marija Taseva, a 19-year-old survivor who suffered an injury to the face.

“I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me. … I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe,” added Taseva.

The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. Police cordoned off the site and sent in evidence gathering teams in an operation also involving state prosecutors.

Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people were detained for questioning after a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.

“We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,” he told reporters without elaborating further.

European leaders offer condolences and assistance

The fire is the worst tragedy in recent memory to befall the landlocked nation – whose population is less than 2 million – and the latest in a slew of deadly nightclub fires around the world.

Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalised for a month for double pneumonia.

Francis expressed his “profound condolences” and assured his remembrance in prayer for those who lost their lives. He also “invoked the lord’s comfort for those suffering”. The pontiff’s words came in a telegram, signed by Secretary of State of the Hole See, Pietro Parolin.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her condolences to the victims and their relatives. “I grieve the tragic loss of life in the fire in Kocani”.

“The EU stands in solidarity with the people of North Macedonia in this difficult time,” she added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also sent messages of support. “I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our (North) Macedonian friends on this sad day,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

Health Ministry officials said the government had accepted offers of assistance from several neighbouring countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, where preparations were being made to receive patients with life-threatening injuries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he’s instructed the government to mobilise support and make available any needed resources to help “make the tragedy smaller”.

In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, three people with severe burns – two aged 25 and a 19-year-old – were being treated at a civilian hospital, with one undergoing surgery, health authorities said. Their conditions are critical.

‘Hard to believe how this happened’ – President

On Sunday, relatives gathered in front of hospitals and city offices in Kocani – about 115 km east of the capital, Skopje – begging authorities for more information. Resident Dragi Stojanov was informed that his 21-year-old son, Tomce, had died in the fire.

“He was my only child. I don’t need my life anymore. 150 families have been devastated,” he said. “Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). And the bosses (of organised crime), are just putting money into their pockets.”

North Macedonia’s President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited burn victims at a hospital in Skopje and spoke to parents waiting outside.

“It’s terrible. Hard to believe how this happened,” she said, her voice halting with emotion. “We must give these young people courage to continue.”

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said it had been “the most difficult day of my life,” adding that the country must defeat corruption.

“I entered politics to change something. I encountered a deeply corrupt system that has been created and nurtured for decades, which includes people from all parties, from all profiles. If that system does not collapse, this country will never exist,” he said in a statement.

North Macedonia’s government ordered a sweeping inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country over the next three days.