148 people were hospitalized in North Macedonia, with 18 critically injured, Health Minister Arben Taravari said
\n Kocani
\nFire ripped through a packed nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring more than 100, after sparks ignited the roof over a live band.
\nArrest warrants have been issued for four people in connection with the fire, said interior minister Pance Toskovski. State news agency Mia said that police have detained the owner of the club over the incident.
\nOne video from the event, verified by Reuters, showed a band playing on stage flanked by two flares, the white sparks of which set the ceiling alight.
\nThe fire caused immediate panic, separating friends and loved ones as people fled to the exits.
\n\u201cEveryone was trying to save themselves,\u201d survivor Marija Taseva, 22, told local TV 5.
\nAs she tried to escape, Taseva fell to the ground and people trod over her, leaving her with an injury on her cheek. In the rush, she lost contact with her sister, who is still missing.
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t find her in any hospital,\u201d she said.
\nAbout 148 people were hospitalised in Skopje, Kocani and surrounding towns, Health Minister Arben Taravari said at a press conference. Eighteen people were critically injured, Taravari said.
\nNorth Macedonia\u2019s MRT public broadcaster reported that 27 people were hospitalized at the Skopje City Hospital with severe burns, and another 23 were being treated at the Clinical Center. Among the injured were minors, it said.
\nThe fire, which began at around 3 a.m. (0200 GMT), was caused by \u201cpyrotechnic devices\u201d whose sparks triggered the blaze, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said.
\nInvestigation
\nNorth Macedonia\u2019s Public Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said five prosecutors would investigate the incident.
\n\u201cAt the moment, orders have been issued for collecting of evidence\u201d and some people were being interviewed, Kocevski said, without elaborating.
\nFirefighters doused the charred and smoking entrance to the \u201cPulse\u201d nightclub before dawn as ambulances rushed from the scene, TV footage from a local broadcaster showed.
\nReuters pictures showed the club\u2019s corrugated iron roof burned through and collapsed in places, its interior wooden beams exposed and blackened.
\nPrime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said on Facebook: \u201cThis is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia! The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable.\u201d
\nAfter visiting injured in a hospital in Skopje, North Macedonia\u2019s President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, dressed in black and fighting tears, said authorities were ready to do everything to help all affected.
\n\u201cI simply cannot comprehend this … what a disaster, what a tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
148 people were hospitalized in North Macedonia, with 18 critically injured, Health Minister Arben Taravari said Kocani Fire ripped through a packed nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring more than 100, after sparks ignited the roof over a live band. Arrest warrants have been issued […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-467454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n