By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-21 16:01:51 | Updated at 2025-03-21 21:28:20
5 hours ago
Thirty-four people, including top officials, are suspected of breaching safety standards which led to the deaths of 59 people in a nightclub fire last weekend in North Macedonia, a prosecutor said Friday.
One of Europe’s deadliest nightclub fires broke out on March 16 during a hip-hop concert in the Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani.
Nearly 200 people were injured in the blaze.
The incident was the worst loss of life in the Balkan nation since 1993, when two deadly plane crashes occurred.
The blaze was linked to stage fireworks set off inside during the concert, which triggered a stampede for the exit.
Public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski told a press conference that the suspects include seven police officers, a former economy minister and ministry officials as well as three former mayors of the town.
