Over 20 suspects in Kočani tragedy

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Public Prosecutor's Office of North Macedonia are obtaining documentation about the burned-down disco in Kočani, as well as about the suspects connected to the fire in which at least 59 people died.

Among the deceased in the disco were minors and one police officer. North Macedonia's Public Prosecutor Ljupčo Kocevski promised the families of the deceased that the investigation would be thorough and swift, Radio Free Europe (RSE) reports.

Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated today that former State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy, Razmena Čekić Đurović, signed a falsified license for the disco in Kočani where the fire that claimed young lives broke out.

"Yes, it was issued by the Ministry of Economy, signed by the then State Secretary Razmena Čekić Đurović. At the risk of all this causing procedural errors, but in the public interest, I am here to share these details if you ask me," Mickoski said.

He told a press conference at the Government of North Macedonia that institutions will examine and investigate all aspects and all problems that led to the tragedy in the disco without scruples towards anyone.

"Control aspects will be examined, and they are what the public rightly identifies as a problem and a challenge for society. I am determined and will act decisively. There will be decisive steps and decisions, there will be steps the public is not used to, but change begins with ourselves," Mickoski emphasized.

We remind you that the fire that caused the tragedy broke out during a concert in a crowded nightclub in the town of Kočani, in the eastern part of the country.

More than 155 people were reported injured, of whom over 80 were transferred to clinics in Skopje, a city about 100 kilometers from Kočani.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, in coordination with the Public Prosecutor's Office, has so far charged 20 people, 15 of whom are in police custody.

Some of the suspects for causing this event have died, and some are in the hospital according to current suspicions.

"Some of the detained persons who are in the police station are individuals who, according to the evidence so far, are directly responsible for the event," said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Panče Toškovski.

Also detained are the former state secretary of the Ministry of Economy, former and current heads of departments in the Ministry of Economy, the former director of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, and three employees, the organizers of the event itself, some of whom participated in security and other activities that evening.

The minister said at a press conference on March 16 that, according to the information received, the fire broke out late on March 15 when pyrotechnic devices were used during a concert by the band DNK in the club. He stated that about 1,500 people attended the concert.

"At the moment of the explosion, the fireworks seemed to have touched the ceiling, which was made of flammable material, and in a short time spread throughout the disco, creating dense smoke," the minister stated.

The minister stated that there are deceased in the hospitals who need to be identified through autopsy.

As part of the operation, relevant authorities are reviewing documentation from the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for issuing licenses and documentation for such catering facilities.

Minister Toškovski said that the company had an illegal license issued in 2024, which was falsified and obtained through corruption.

"I would not want to reveal more details as we are in the early stages of the investigation. This license and many other things in Macedonia are connected with bribery and corruption. Unlike before, they have the names and surnames of those involved in the illegal issuance of permits, and they will be held accountable," Toškovski emphasized.

Injured guests of the nightclub in Kočani have been treated in hospitals in Štip and Skopje.

"There were about 500 people, 250 tickets were sold. The names of the deceased will be provided to the families after the identification is completed. Most of the victims have been identified, and all bodies have been removed from the scene. There are 22 people in critical condition, and some of them will be transferred to Bulgaria and Greece where they will receive appropriate treatment," said Toškovski.

Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said on Facebook that the government is "fully mobilized and will do everything necessary to deal with the consequences and determine the causes of the tragedy," RSE reports.

Twenty-seven people injured in the fire in Kočani, North Macedonia, will be transported to healthcare facilities in neighboring countries, Anadolu reports.

The Ministry of Health announced that air transport is being organized for the most severely injured in the fire.

Five patients are being sent for treatment to Bulgaria, nine to Turkey, and three patients have been transported to Greece.

Another five patients will be transported to Bulgaria, and five to Serbia, reported the portal kurir.mk.

Eight patients are currently at Skopje airport and will be transferred to Pirogov hospitals in Sofia and Varna.

Previously, three patients from the Clinical Center departed in vehicles equipped for intensive care for Thessaloniki, to Papanikolaou Hospital.

The number of fatalities in the fire that broke out in the "Pulse" disco in Kočani has risen to 59, and 155 people were injured, said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Panče Toškovski.

Thirty-five people have been identified, of whom 31 are from Kočani and four from Štip.