A British Macedonian who lost a family friend in a nightclub blaze that killed 59 people says the venue was a ‘fire trap’.
Nick Nasev, 49, a translator from London, went into ‘panic mode’ when he first heard about the tragedy as he has many relatives who live in Kocani, the town in North Macedonia where it happened.
There were initially suggestions his cousin’s children had been at the venue, Club Pulse, that night but it turned out they didn’t go.
But he later learnt a 19-year-old grandchild of his father’s friend died in the inferno, which started in the early hours of Sunday morning after the ceiling caught fire.
It’s since been revealed that the club had just one emergency exit, a single metal door which was locked at the time and had no handle on the inside.
‘Like in most places around the world, venues like this disco are fire traps,” Mr Nasev said.
‘Entertainment venues such as discos, cafes, reception centres are the most profitable businesses in the region, particularly considering the limited means the local population has.
‘The proprietors of such venues tend to have some clout over the local authorities, allowing for them to cut corners.’
Mr Nasev said he sadly does not expect anyone to be prosecuted for the fire
‘No one has been prosecuted for Grenfell, so why should we expect the same for Kocani?’ he said but added that he hoped it would at least bring greater attention to fire safety in Macedonia.
Speaking about the family friend who died, he said: ‘Her passion had been for Macedonian folk dancing and she was an active member of the neighbourhood’s folkloric ensemble.’
Children as young as 16 were among the casualties.
Police are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption at the club, which was at least double its official capacity when the fire started.
‘We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president,’ North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said in an address to the nation Sunday night.
As the investigation continues, rescuers have spent hours searching through the club’s charred remains to find the bodies of those who died.
The fire caused part of the building’s roof to collapse, revealing burned wooden beams.
A silent protest against corruption was held in Kocani, though some people’s anger boiled over and a van and storefront belonging to the club owners were attacked.
Where did the fire happen?
The deadly fire happened at Club Pulse, a nightclub in the eastern town of Kocani in North Macedonia.
The town, which has a population of about 25,000 people, is located about 70miles east of the capital city of Skopje.
North Macedonia is a small landlocked Balkan country in south east Europe.
It’s bordered by Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the north west, and Serbia to the north.
What caused the fire?
While the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, video recorded inside the nightclub captured sparks from pyrotechnics hitting the ceiling and igniting.
The club was hosting a concert by DNK, a popular hip-hop duo formed in 2002.
The band was performing on stage when two flares started to go off, causing sparks to set alight the ‘highly flammable’ material on the ceiling.
Further footage showed people trying to extinguish the flames while members of the band encouraged people to get out.
How many people were in the nightclub when the fire broke out?
The exact number of people in the nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning is not yet known.
However, police are investigating allegations of bribery and corruption at Club Pulse, which was at least double its official capacity of 250 people when the fire started.
How many casualties and deaths were there?
59 people have died and 155 have suffered injuries caused by burns, smoke inhalation, or being trampled during the panicked rush to the club’s only exit. 20 of those injured are in a critical condition.
Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said more than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were under the age of 18.
However Health Minister Arben Taravari warned the death toll could rise further, due to the number of people still considered critical.
‘All patients who have been transferred abroad are currently in stable condition. We hope it stays that way and that we will receive positive news from abroad,’ Mr Taravari added on Monday.
Those injured are suffering from burns, smoke inhalation, and being trampled as they tried to escape the burning building.
Has anyone been arrested over the fire?
As of Monday afternoon, a total of 20 people have been detained for questioning, after initial inquiries found the club was operating without a proper licence.
10 of those were still in custody on Monday morning.
Local press described Club Pulse as an ‘improvised nightclub’ and say the building had previously been used as a carpet warehouse.
‘We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,’ Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said yesterday.
The venue’s owner and former government officials are amongst those detained.
The government announced a three-day inspection at every nightclub and cabaret in the country, starting from today.
One survivor, 19-year-old Marija Taseva, said she and others tried to escape through the bathroom only to find the windows were secured with metal bars.
Prosecutor Kocevski said a preliminary inspection of the nightclub had revealed numerous safety code violations including a lack of emergency exits, an insufficient number of fire extinguishers, and improper access for emergency vehicles.
‘The omissions are significant. I can confidently say that this is a failure of the system,’ the prosecutor said.
The club’s ceiling was made of flammable materials and its plasterboard walls were not fire resistant.
Devastated families wait for answers
Fearful family members gathered outside hospitals after casualties were sent to four different facilities across the country, including in the capital, Skopje, 70 miles away.
Dragi Stojanov was waiting outside the hospital in Kocani when he was told his 21-year-old son, Tomce, had died.
He said: ‘He was my only child. I don’t need my life anymore. 150 families have been devastated.
‘I am a dead man. I lost everything.
‘Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). And the bosses (of organized crime), just putting money into their pockets.’
Simeon Sokolov, 50, found his daughter Anastasija in the emergency ward of the September 8 hospital in the capital Skopje, where she was being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
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‘I just know that there are many children who have suffered. Doctors are doing their job and the number is big,’ he said.
Some of the most seriously injured victims had been air-lifted to hospitals in neighbouring Turkey and Greece.
Kocani residents held a candlelit vigil in support for mourning families late on Sunday night, with queues out of the church doors to light candles.
Resident Mihail Gavrilov said: ‘(I knew) 5 or 6, one of those was killed. It’s devastating for the entire city and the entire country.’
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