Thousands gathered across North Macedonia to mourn victims of the nightclub fire in Kocani, the country's worst disaster in decades. Grief turned to anger as protests erupted over corruption and safety violations. Authorities have detained over 20 people and launched nationwide inspections.
Thousands of mourners gathered at cemeteries across North Macedonia on Thursday for the funerals of dozens of people killed in a nightclub fire, the Balkan country's worst disaster in decades.
Fifty-nine people were killed and more than 170 were injured when a blaze broke out during a concert on Sunday in the small, unlicensed "Pulse" club in the town of Kocani.
Crowds of people dressed in black and holding candles and flowers streamed towards the cemetery in Kocani, where at least 30 new graves were dug this week.
At the head of each grave, the name of the victim was displayed on a piece of white paper stuck to a thin wooden stick. Priests prayed over the coffins as they were laid at the grave sides.
“The city is in shock, all these children lost, such a big tragedy that we will never be able to get over," said Luka Anastasov, 60, as he returned from the funerals in Kocani.
Ceremonies took place in towns across the country.
In the capital Skopje, 80 km (50 miles) west of Kocani, some 1,000 people, including prominent musicians, attended the funeral of Andrej Gorgieski, 43, a singer in the DNK band that was performing when the fire broke out.
The disaster has devastated Kocani, which has a population of around 25,000 people.
Most stores and cafes have been closed during a week of nationwide mourning. Reminders of the fire are everywhere: especially in the photos of the young people who were killed, which are taped to street lamps, trees and doors all over town.
Under the grief lies much anger.
Authorities have said the nightclub's licence was illegally obtained and that the venue lacked fire extinguishers and emergency exits and was made of flammable materials.
More than 20 people have been detained in connection with the fire, including government officials and the manager of the nightclub.
Protests calling for an end to corruption took place in Kocani and Skopje this week. Sporadic violence broke out in Kocani on Monday when a group of people vandalised a pub that protesters said was run by the same person who owned "Pulse". Later, hundreds of people descended on the mayor's home, throwing rocks and smashing windows.
Authorities began inspecting nightclubs and cafes around the country this week for potential safety violations.
Ukrainian emergency services extinguished a fire on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel after a Russian attack that damaged three Turkish-owned ships in s...
Russia and Ukraine issued conflicting battlefield reports on Friday, with Moscow claiming control of eight towns and cities, while Kyiv said it had st...
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can sh...
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic mis...
Football superstar Lionel Messi has arrived in India to kick off his highly anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025, a three-day, four-city visit running fro...
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
Ukrainian emergency services extinguished a fire on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel after a Russian attack that damaged three Turkish-owned ships in southern Ukrainian ports
Russia and Ukraine issued conflicting battlefield reports on Friday, with Moscow claiming control of eight towns and cities, while Kyiv said it had stabilised the front near Kupyansk.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
Football superstar Lionel Messi has arrived in India to kick off his highly anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025, a three-day, four-city visit running from 13 to 15 December.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment