Thousands of people went to the streets of the capital of Macedonia in the North, Skopje, and the eastern town of Kocani (25,000 inhabitants) to demand responsibilities for the fire in a disco that caused at least 59 dead and 150 wounded in the early hours of Sunday. “We want justice!” The approximately 5,000 students who gathered in the main courtyard of the San Cirilo University and Skopje Methodium chanted to pay tribute to the victims, according to the national TV Alpha station. The protests, which will continue this Tuesday in the main city of the country, then moved to the headquarters of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court.
In parallel, another thousand citizens expressed their indignation shouted from “Killer, murderer!” in the town of Kocani, where they demolished a coffee owned by the owner of the burning nightclub. They also threw objects against the City Council and broke the windows of the local police police station. In Stip, just over 30 kilometers southwest, protesters sang songs against corruption, and requested a fair judgment “for all the guilty” of “murder.”
The Macedonia security forces of the North have already arrested a fortnight of people for their alleged relationship with the fire and estimate that the number of involved in it could be around twenty. The misuse of pyrotechnics seems to be the main cause. The Balkan country government has declared seven days of mourning as of this Monday.
Most, twenty
The younger victim was 14 years old and the rest of the deceased are mostly people up to 25 years, as reported by the director of the Kocani Hospital. Police confirmed today that the fire was unleashed in the early hours of Sunday for the use of pyrotechnic devices during a concert of a local band at the Pulse disco, in Kocani. There were about 500 people inside, twice the maximum allowed. The premises, which existed for twelve years, did not have a legal license, according to the Interior Minister of this Balkan country, Panche Toshkovski.
The disco was also soundproaded with highly flammable materials, he had no sprinklers, only had two fire extinguishers and the only exit, apart from the main door, it was closed, the attorney general reported Monday, Ljupcho Kocevski. “The concert was carried out illegally, without a written agreement with the interpreters,” nor was the Regional Police informed about the planned use of pyrotechnics, a mandatory security requirement, according to Toshkovski on a press conference on a press conference on Monday.
First resignations
The mayor of Kocani, Ljupcho Papozov, resigned on Monday, urging the authorities to investigate the responsibility of all involved, including himself.
The local band DNK lost five of its members in the tragedy, including the person who operated the pyrotechnic elements. The authorities have arrested 21 people so far, including former Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi, who would have been responsible for issuing the fraudulent license at the time.
To deal with the large number of injured, Macedonia del Norte requested assistance to other countries and the activation of the Civil Protection mechanism of the European Union, whose adhesion has been a candidate for just two decades. Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Lithuania and Hungary have already responded to the appeal and welcome 51 patients together, as confirmed by the Minister Normacedonium of External, Timcho Mucunski, at a press conference in the capital of the country. “In addition, another 18 patients will be transported to Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Norway and Hungary,” he added.
