Authorities in North Macedonia have arrested 20 people as part of an investigation into a fire at a nightclub in the city of Kočani, which claimed the lives of 59 people.
This was reported by the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Pance Toskovski.
Among those detained are government officials and the nightclub’s manager. North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated that the nightclub had been issued a license by the Ministry of Economy illegally. He vowed that all those responsible would be held accountable.
“Regardless of who they are, which institution they belong to, what level they are at, which party they represent, or what profession they have,” the prime minister declared.
The tragedy in Kočani occurred around 3:00 AM on the night of March 16. The preliminary cause of the fire, which resulted in dozens of deaths, is believed to be the use of pyrotechnics.
According to the latest reports, 59 people lost their lives in the incident.
In response to the tragedy, the North Macedonian government has declared a seven-day period of mourning.
