Authorities in North Macedonia have detained at least 15 people following a nightclub fire that killed dozens of people.
The blaze broke out during a concert at a nightclub in Kočani, about 100km east of the capital city of Skopje.
Around 59 people are believed dead, while at least 155 others were injured while attempting to escape through the building’s only exit.
Early investigations have revealed the club’s licence may have been falsified, wrongly issued, or the result of bribery.
Incident
The fire broke out around 3am. It is believed to have been started by sparks from pyrotechnics hitting the ceiling.
Authorities said the ceiling was made of “flammable material,” causing the fire to spread rapidly.
The director of the local hospital told media some of those injured are as young as 14, and confirmed that some of the deceased remain unidentified.
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Arrests
A spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office told the BBC that among the 15 people in police custody were “officials from the ministries that issued [the club’s] licence.”
The spokesperson said the venue did not have an emergency exit, and that there were multiple “abnormalities” in its fire-extinguishing and lighting systems.
Interior Minister Pance Toskovski told reporters that police have “grounds for suspicion of bribery and corruption in this case.”
Response
The Government has declared a seven-day national mourning period, with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski calling it a “difficult and very sad day.”
The Prime Minister has ordered emergency safety inspections of all nightclubs, bars, and similar venues.
Mickoski said the incident’s suspected links to bribery highlighted the country’s “deeply corrupt system”.
