(18 Mar 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kocani, North Macedonia – 18 March 2025
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Various of night prayer service
2. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) Bishop Hilarion, metropolitan of diocese of Bregalnica, of Macedonian Orthodox Church:
"I want to comfort the parents of the deceased and parents of injured. All those around them too. At this time, we need patience. We need to be calm. We need redemption. We need love."
3. Mid of attendees
4. Various of candle and flowers tribute
5. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) Zuzica Blazev, whose brother was injured in fire and is in hospital in Athens:
"It all happened unexpectedly, one of my friends died. My brother is in Athens, in hospital, his life is not danger. I express my deepest condolences to all the families. They need to be strong. They need to be patient and strong. God will give them strength. All the injured to recover from this fire. And I hope this pain we feel will stop."
6. Mid of candle vigil
7. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) Blagica Pandevska, resident of Kocani:
"How can I feel anything? I am crushed with pain. I have no words. I have lots of friends, small children, it’s a small town, we all know each other. I don’t know what to say, we are in shock."
8. Small protest of families of arrested security guards, people holding pictures of security guards, posters reading (Macedonian) "Freedom for our heroes"
9. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) Natalija Georgieva, wife of security guard detained after fire:
"The aim of this (protest) is to support them (security guards). Our husbands are our heroes. Because if it wasn’t for them, there would be many more people dead."
10. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) Veljko Krstevski, survived the fire at the disco:
"Today the nightclub has burned, tomorrow other buildings or schools will burn if the situation (corruption) continues like this. In order to change the system, we must have the people who are running the system take responsibility. We know now that this nightclub had a forged permit and license, but at the same time we also know that many of our politicians with forged diplomas are taking up high positions. Than how do you expect people in this town, or this country, to feel like that there can be any change?"
11. Mid of posters of nightclub security guards
12. Pan, tilt down from black balloons to protesters
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of residents of the grief-stricken North Macedonian town of Kocani gathered Tuesday evening for a prayer service and vigil, following the deaths of 59 people in a blaze at a local night club.
Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert early Sunday, leaving another 150 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked rush toward the building’s single exit.
Bishop Hilarion, metropolitan of the diocese of Bregalnica, delivered the sermon and urged the crowd to remain calm and embrace God.
But among some residents of Kocani, the shock of the tragedy is quickly turning to anger, as authorities announced that the night club had been operating under a forged license.
Fire survivor Veljko Krstevski called for government accountability and an overhaul of an entrenched system of bribery in North Macedonian politics.
"Today the disco is burnt, tomorrow other buildings or schools will burn, if the situation continues like this," he said.
"We know now that this club had a forged permit and license, but at the same time we also know that many of our politicians with forged diplomas are taking up high positions," Krstevski added.
Production: Amer Cohadzic
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