North Macedonia nightclub fire death toll rises to 60

By AFP
April 05, 2025
Protestors march through the streets of Skopje during a protest for justice for the victims who lost their lives in the Kocani fire accident. — AFP
Protestors march through the streets of Skopje during a protest for justice for the victims who lost their lives in the Kocani fire accident. — AFP

SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia:The death toll in a North Macedonia nightclub fire, one of Europe’s deadliest, has risen to 60 with the manager of the club dying in a Lithuanian hospital, officials said Friday.

The blaze erupted on 16 March during a hip-hop concert at Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani, injuring nearly 200. Many of them are receiving treatment in neighbouring countries and elsewhere in Europe.

The latest casualty suffered burns on nearly 40 percent of his body, Health Minister Arben Taravari told a news conference in the capital Skopje. “He had a fever and severe wounds -- second- and third-degree burns leave the body vulnerable to infection,” Taravari said, adding that three more patients remain in critical condition.