The tragedy that occurred early Sunday morning at a nightclub in North Macedonia during a hip-hop concert, where a fire claimed the lives of 59 people, may have been preventable. Authorities are investigating the incident, and at the moment, 15 people have been arrested for "corruption and bribes" as the venue lacked a license.
Authorities are looking into alleged acts of "corruption" or "bribery" related to the fire. "This company does not have a legal license to operate. This license, like many other things in Macedonia in the past, is related to bribery and corruption," stated the Minister of Interior, Pance Toskovski.
The minister mentioned that more than 20 people are under investigation, with 15 of them detained at the police station, while others are in the hospital.
The Attorney General, Ljucpo Kocevski, specified that the list of "omissions" in terms of safety at the Pulse nightclub was extensive, from a "lack of sufficient fire extinguishers" to the absence of two necessary emergency exits or a smoke detector.
"Today is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia," wrote Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Facebook. "The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of families, loved ones, and friends is immeasurable," he added.
According to authorities, 155 injured individuals were taken to hospitals across the country, with 22 of them in critical condition. Some of the most severe cases were transferred to hospitals in other European countries.
"At the time of the incident, there were about 500 people inside, while 250 tickets had been sold," stated Pance Toskovski.
Most of the victims are young people who were attending a concert by DNK, a very popular hip-hop group in the country, at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, one hundred kilometers from the capital, Skopje.
"According to our initial information, the fire started as a result of sparks from pyrotechnic devices used during the concert," Toskovski said.
"It is most likely that the sparks reached the easily flammable ceiling, and then, in a very short time, the fire spread throughout the nightclub, creating thick smoke," added the Minister of Interior.
"I heard an explosion, and the roof collapsed," said a young man who was at the nightclub to local media. "Everyone ran towards a door that served both as an entrance and an exit," he added.
Videos posted on social media before the fire show indoor fireworks commonly used during concerts.