North Macedonian officials order venue closures following deadly nightclub blaze that killed 59 people
North Macedonian officials have reportedly ordered the closure of a number of live music venues across the country following a deadly blaze at a nightclub in Kočani that killed 59 people and injured a further 150 this weekend.
Officials confirmed today (March 19) that they had detained the suspects after interviewing 70 people concerning the fire, which started at Kočani’s Pulse nightclub at 2:20AM local time on Sunday morning.
Investigators and witnesses have claimed that the fire started due to the use of pyrotechnics at the indoor venue during a performance by hip hop group DNK — just one of the group’s five members survived the blaze.
As reported by AP, investigators found “multiple safety and licensing violations” at Pulse and have since probed a number of nightlife and live music venues across the country.
Government spokesperson Marija Miteva said that just 20 out of 50 venues held valid licenses and have shuttered dozens of venues across North Macedonia.
“For all premises with expired licenses or no license at all, the state market inspectorate has ordered the suspension of activities until all necessary documents are reviewed and validated,” Miteva said in a statement to AP.
A week of national mourning has been declared in North Macedonia following the fire, with many mourners taking to the streets in protest against what they call “corrupt practices” that led to the tragedy.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski, who has been charged with leading the investigation into the fire, found that Pulse had no exit doors but “only one single improvised metal door at the back of the building” which had been locked with no handle on the inside.
“There was no access for fire engines from either side in accordance with the fire safety regulations. The interior of the building was lined with plasterboard, but it was not fireproof,” he continued, listing a lack of fire alarm system, fire extinguishers and a ceiling made of “highly-flammable material” among safety violations.
Investigators believe many of those who died in the blaze were killed as a result of a crush as the 500-capacity crowd attempted to escape the fire.
As work continues to identify those who have died, relatives are said to have been queueing outside hospitals in the area around Kočani to give DNA samples, with funerals expected to take place tomorrow (March 20).
Megan Townsend is Mixmag’s Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
