Nightclub fire kills nearly 60 (VIDEOS)

Tragedy has struck in Kocani, North Macedonia, with survivors describing panic and a stampede as people rushed to a single exit

A fire and an ensuing stampede at a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia have claimed the lives of at least 59 people, with 155 more wounded. Local media quoted Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski as saying the blaze was caused by pyrotechnics used at the venue during a concert.

According to media reports, there were around 1,500 revelers inside ‘Pulse’ when the ceiling caught fire in the early hours of Sunday.

“The fire started around 2:30 AM [after] the Styrofoam on the ceiling caught fire from the fire crackers that were on stage,” Sakam Da Kazam media outlet wrote, citing a survivor. The man told reporters that this was followed by an explosion that caused the roof to cave in.