Skopje: Thirteen individuals, including a former government minister, have been placed in 30-day custody in North Macedonia following a devastating nightclub fire that claimed 59 lives, including six minors. The blaze, believed to have been triggered by pyrotechnics, also left 197 people injured, shaking the town of Kocani, home to 25,000 residents, located east of the capital, Skopje.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski confirmed that authorities are holding a total of 24 suspects, with three still receiving medical treatment in hospital. He stated that the fire resulted from “a chain of omissions and illegal actions by officials.”
Among those detained are officials responsible for issuing operating licenses, the nightclub owner, a member of the band that performed at the venue, as well as police officers and security personnel accused of permitting the entry of minors and the use of pyrotechnics.
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In response to the tragedy, authorities have intensified inspections of nightclubs and cafés across the country to identify and address potential safety violations.
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