CNN —
Officials in North Macedonia are investigating a fire that tore through a nightclub killing 59 people and injuring more than 150, with many crushed in the rush to escape flames suspected to have been sparked by on-stage pyrotechnics.
Around 500 revelers were at the “Pulse” nightclub in the town of Kochani, east of the capital Skopje, when flames ripped through the venue at about 3 a.m. Sunday morning, officials said.
Video of the tragedy seems to show sparks flying from stage props and setting the roof alight as local band DNK performed to the crowd.
One concert-goer, 22-year-old Marija Taseva, told Reuters that everyone was shouting, “Get out, get out.” She said she fell to the ground, and people trod on her, injuring her face.
Her sister didn’t make it out. “My sister died,” Taseva said.
The victims range in age from 16 to 24, the head of Kochani General Hospital, Dr. Kristina Serafimova, said, according to state media outlet MIA. The majority of those who died were trampled in the crowd crush, she added.
Several members of DNK are reported to be among those killed, including Andrej Gjorgieski, one of its lead singers.
Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said the blaze was caused by pyrotechnics used for lighting effects.
“Most likely, sparks caught a part of the ceiling that was made of flammable material, causing the fire to spread to the entire discotheque in a short period of time, creating thick smoke,” he said.
At least 152 people who were injured in the tragedy were taken to hospitals across the country, MIA reported, citing the country’s health ministry. Dozens of victims are being treated for second-degree burns on their hands and faces, Vlatko Zahariev, head of the city of Shtip’s hospital said, according to MIA.
Twenty-seven of the most seriously injured victims will receive treatment abroad, the health ministry said, according to MIA.
Football player Andrej Lazarov was confirmed to be among the deceased, his club FC Shkupi announced in an Instagram post Sunday. Lazarov was 25.
By late Sunday, around 20 suspects had been arrested, including members of the band, the son of the club owner, and government officials, Toskovski told a press conference. Earlier MIA reported the owner of the nightclub was among those arrested.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the nightclub’s license had been issued illegally by the economy ministry, according to Reuters. He said those found responsible will face justice.
“Regardless of who they are, from which institution, from what level, from which party and profession,” Mickoski said, as he declared seven days of national mourning.
Leaders from across Europe have taken to social media to express their condolences, including Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, President of the European Council.
Angela Aggeler, the US ambassador to North Macedonia, also posted about the incident on X, writing that her “heart breaks” for the victims of the tragedy and offering the US embassy’s assistance and resources.
Pope Francis also expressed his “deep” condolences to the families of the victims.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israeli medical experts will head to North Macedonia “within the next day” to provide medical assistance.
The disaster is one of the deadliest nightclub fires to have taken place in at least a decade. In 2015, a crowded nightclub in Bucharest, Romania was engulfed in flames after pyrotechnics were set off during a concert, killing 64 people.
Two years earlier, more than 240 people died after a fire broke out at a nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil. Pyrotechnics were also being used inside the club when the fire started.
This story has been updated with additional information.
