Video reveals moment Macedonia nightclub caught fire claiming 59 lives | BBC News

Police have detained 10 people after a fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia killed at least 59 people.

Video inside the club reveals sparks from flares hit the ceiling above the stage where a band was performing, setting fire to highly flammable material.

The blaze broke out around 02:30 in the morning at the Pulse club in Kocani, where about 500 people were watching a concert by DNK, a popular hip-hop duo in Macedonia.

Only one member of the band survived and was being treated in hospital. At least 155 people were injured in the disaster.

Macedonia’s Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said the venue did not have a legal licence to operate, while police are looking into why the club was allowed to operate and whether bribes had been paid.

The venue has been described as an "improvised nightclub" in the local press, having previously been a carpet warehouse. It’s reported that there was only one effective exit from the building and that a back door had been locked and could not be used to escape. The authorities have said there appeared to be breaches in fire safety regulations.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Guy Delauney in Kocani.

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Post from BBC News on March 16, 2025

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