Death toll from North Macedonia fire rises to 59

At least 59 people have died and more than 155 have been injured in a nightclub fire in North Macedonia, according to officials. The blaze broke out around 02:30 local time (01:30 GMT) at the Pulse club in Kocani, a town located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje, where approximately 1,500 people were attending a concert by the popular hip-hop duo DNK.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski described it as a "difficult and very sad day" for the country, which has lost many "young lives." Arrest warrants have been issued for four individuals, as stated by Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, who did not provide further details. He confirmed that a man had been arrested earlier and the club owner had also been detained.

Toskovski indicated that, according to initial reports, the fire was started by sparks from pyrotechnic devices that ignited the ceiling made of highly flammable material. Footage from the incident shows the band performing on stage when two flares were set off, sending sparks to the ceiling and quickly spreading the fire. Verified video footage reveals people attempting to extinguish the flames while the club remained crowded, with many spectators seeming to watch the attempts to put out the fire instead of evacuating.

Marija Taseva, a 20-year-old survivor, told Channel 5 TV that she was caught in a crush as people rushed for the exits. She fell to the ground and was trampled in the chaos, but she eventually managed to escape. Her family is still searching for her 25-year-old sister, who has not been found in any local hospital and may have been transferred to Skopje for treatment.

Initially, the interior minister reported a death toll of 51, with around 100 injured. In the latest update, he stated that 35 of the deceased individuals had already been identified. Local media has reported that the government plans to declare seven days of national mourning and conduct urgent inspections of all nightclubs and restaurants that host large gatherings.

The director of Kocani's hospital stated that staff have been struggling to identify patients due to the absence of identification cards. She also mentioned that the deceased were between the ages of 14 and 24. Eighteen patients are said to be in critical condition.

In a statement, the prime minister stated that the government is "fully mobilized and will do everything necessary to address the consequences and determine the causes of this tragedy." DNK, the band at the center of the concert, was formed in 2002 and has dominated the music charts over the past decade. Additional reporting was provided by Richard Irvine-Brown.