(18 Mar 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Skopje, North Macedonia – 18 March 2025
1. Various of crowd at the protest in Skopje
2. Mid of protesters holding banners
3. Wide of crowd at the protest
4. Mid of protesters holding banners
5. Wide of crowd at the protest
STORYLINE:
Protesters have rallied in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje after dozens of young people were killed in a nightclub fire in the eastern town of Kočani early Sunday.
Investigations have revealed that the club, Club Pulse, was operating at at least double its 250-person capacity without proper licensing.
Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski on Tuesday said that the government is launching a robust operation on night club owners.
Officials say there were numerous safety violations — no emergency exits, insufficient fire equipment, the use of flammable cladding and no sprinkler system.
Many victims were trampled as panicked concertgoers rushed toward a single exit.
Kočani’s mayor resigned on Monday over the emerging scandal.
Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert, leaving 59 people dead and more than 150 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked rush toward the building’s single exit.
Videos showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the club’s ceiling and igniting the blaze as a band played.
Bribes to authorities to skip licensing requirements and skirt safety regulations are commonplace in North Macedonia.
The European Union has repeatedly expressed concerns over pervasive corruption in the country, identifying it as a major obstacle to the country’s accession to the bloc.
Demonstrations took place Monday in both Kočani and the capital, Skopje.
Officials said ten people remain in police custody for questioning in Kočani, some 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of the capital, Skopje.
The government has ordered nationwide inspections of all nightclubs and other entertainment venues.
AP video by Florent Bajrami
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