The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje announced that Bulgaria is ready to provide transportation for the closest family members of the victims of the Kochani tragedy, who are being treated in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna, as well as to provide them with accommodation for the necessary period of treatment, BTA reported.
They can contact the Embassy at the following phone numbers:
+389 2 32 29 444; +389 2 32 46 491
+389 75 280 013 /mobile/
Eight of the seriously injured in the disco were transported by a "Spartan" plane to Sofia. Five of the patients will be admitted to the "N. I. Pirogov" University Hospital for the Treatment of Burns. The remaining three with severe burns will be hospitalized at the Varna Hospital at the Military Medical Academy. A total of 14 people are expected to arrive in Bulgaria for treatment, according to the deputy director of "Pirogov".
The fire broke out early Sunday morning at the "Pulse" disco in the city of Kochani. 59 people died and another 155 were injured. The fire broke out during a concert by the popular band “DNA“. According to initial data, the fire was caused by sparks from pyrotechnics used for lighting effects at the concert.
The prosecutor's office will request short-term detention for ten people for whom evidence of alleged responsibility for the fire was provided on Sunday, the state prosecutor of the Republic of North Macedonia Ljupco Kocevski and the team of prosecutors in the case informed this evening, MIA reported.
Some of the victims of the fire in Kochani have been transported to Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Croatia for treatment. According to the Minister of Health of the Republic of North Macedonia Arben Taravari, the total number of victims who will be treated outside the country is 47.
According to information from the Greek media "Documento News" (Documento news) A total of 18 victims of the fire in Kochani will be treated at the "Papanikolau" hospital in Thessaloniki and in military hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki. Three seriously injured - two aged 25 and one aged 19 - have already been admitted to the "Papanikolau" hospital with extensive burns. One of them has already undergone surgery.
According to Kotsevski, from the on-site inspection, prosecutors have established that the building where the fire occurred does not have a fire protection system or a fire alarm system. According to the information provided, there were only two fire extinguishers in it, and its back door was closed and without a handle from the inside. The building was also improperly lined with soundproofing materials and visual effects materials made of easily flammable materials. The site used illegal pyrotechnic materials, reaching a height of three meters, without the appropriate permit and without a company authorized to ignite the pyrotechnics.
One of the organizers of the event was questioned, who stated that there was no written agreement to organize the concert between the organizer and the group "DNA".
The State Prosecutor of North Macedonia indicated that over 20 people were questioned today in the case and confirmed that former Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi was also summoned for questioning in Skopje.
Kotsevski informed that a prosecutorial team has been formed for the case, consisting of two prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office in Skopje, two from the Prosecutor's Office in Kocani and two from the Prosecutor's Office in Shtip, who conducted an on-site inspection. According to him, the investigation is not yet over and will continue tomorrow, when three to five prosecutors from Skopje will also be involved in the case.
According to the state prosecutor, this is a really complex case and there are many things that need to be investigated. He pointed out that a number of activities have been undertaken so far, such as ordering an autopsy of the victims, an order to take measures to detain any person who, by their actions or inaction, contributed to the event, an order to examine the seized items, a proposal to issue an order to seize video recordings from security cameras, and others.
Kotsevski also stated that the prosecutor's office is working to determine the criminal liability of several individuals for several crimes, including serious crimes against public security, as well as the existence of reasonable suspicion of the commission of other crimes, which is why a proposal will be made to determine a preventive measure of "detention in custody".
Kotsevski informed that some of the evidence in the case was obtained during the interrogation of one of the organizers, who is also among the main suspects.
"In this particular case, I can say that it could possibly be a crime, as I mentioned earlier - for giving and receiving a bribe, as well as a crime related to pyrotechnics", Kocevski pointed out.
The state prosecutor added that "the individuals acted in contradiction with the provisions and technical rules of the protection measures and thus caused a great danger to the lives and work of people".
All aspects and problems that led to the tragedy in Kocani will be examined and investigated by the institutions, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski at a press conference in Skopje today, MIA reported.
Mickoski said that he had had many difficult moments and challenges in his life, but described today as the hardest day he had ever had. He informed that a number of measures, activities and decisions will be taken in the coming days in connection with what happened in Kocani.
“I owe it to you, I owe it to the families of the deceased, to the media and to every single person in (North) Macedonia“, said Mickoski.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia informed that the facility where the fire occurred was operating with a fake license, issued in March 2024 in exchange for a bribe. According to him, this document was issued illegally, and it has the original seal of the Ministry of Economy and signatures of the then officials in the ministry. According to Mickoski, there are many questions about this that the investigation will answer.
"In all that is happening to us and has happened to us, first of all there must be criminal liability for all those involved, regardless of who is from which institution, at what level, from which party, what profession they perform, etc., etc. to the last. Expect that when it comes to liability, there will be no mercy. There will have to be liability with a name and surname. In surgically precise actions of the institutions. "Without mercy," said Mickoski.
He added that it is necessary to demonstrate moral responsibility.
"Many people tell me that people know that the government is not to blame for the fact that this is a new government that has faced problems accumulated over decades and a system of corruption that has been created for decades in the country, but I tell you, regardless of this, we must be an example that will have meaning and value and must bear moral responsibility," Mickoski said at the press conference.
As the most important thing at the moment, he highlighted the expression of condolences to the relatives of the victims, the prayer for the families of the dead and injured and for the people of the country. The Prime Minister added that there must be a call for unity and cohesion and a focus on the facts and everything that is important in order to begin a fundamental realignment of the system.
"We as politicians must demonstrate something different, something sound and principled, that can overcome this system that is consuming our country and is the main obstacle and the main threat and danger to whether this country will survive or not. Either we will succeed this time, or we will cease to exist as a country. This time there will be no retreat," the prime minister was categorical.
Mickoski stressed that he had heard the messages of the opposition in the country and did not want this event to be politicized in the sense of attempts to accuse another party of responsibility for what happened.
"This is not an inter-party battle between (the ruling party) VMRO-DPMNE and (the opposition) SDSM, but rather a battle of the honest against the dishonest and corrupt from all parties and all institutions. I say this for all honest people in Macedonia, in VMRO-DPMNE, in SDSM, in Vredi, in DUI and in other parties who sincerely want there to be order and law in the country", the Prime Minister also said.
According to him, regardless of ideological differences, corruption must be put to an end and the "corrupt and depraved people who abuse the institutions" must be overthrown.
"This is a fight against a monster that devours the future of the country and takes victims with it. It takes away our most precious ones. And defeating it is our duty," said Mickoski.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia stated that in connection with the tragedy in Kocani he will act decisively and decisive measures will be taken.
"There will be decisive steps and decisions. There will be steps that society is not used to, but changes start with us," said Mickoski.
He expressed immense gratitude to the doctors and all the medical staff in the country, who selflessly joined in providing assistance to the victims, as well as to all the friends and neighboring countries that responded.
Today, burn specialists from Israel, Belgrade and Prague will arrive in North Macedonia to help healthcare workers in the country.
According to the information Taravari has, four to five of the injured have sought medical help in private clinics.
The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, addressed the citizens:
"We are all in shock and I myself am shocked: as a mother, as a person, as a president. I still cannot believe that the terrible tragedy in Kocani is a reality. I do not know with what words to express my condolences to the parents and closest relatives of the deceased. Your immeasurable pain is mine too," Siljanovska-Davkova said.
The President of North Macedonia informed that this morning she visited the victims, who were being treated in various hospitals, and expressed her faith that the medical staff will do everything possible and impossible to help them.
"I know and feel that we are not alone, because not only our neighbors, but also more distant countries, responded immediately," Siljanovska's address also stated.
"The good people from the entire region, Europe and the world are with us. We will never forget this virtuous deed. We will be eternally grateful to them," the President of North Macedonia also said.
She appealed to the citizens of the country, "guided by humanity and empathy," to unite in pain with the awareness that death and illness equally affect all of us, "regardless of any affiliation."
"This is not the time for divisions and confrontations, especially when it comes to young people whose lives were extinguished in an instant due to arbitrariness, improvisation and manipulation," stressed Siljanovska-Davkova.
She added that no activity and activity can function without standards and rules and that no one responsible this time will be able to escape the law, justice and punishment.
She called on the memory of the deceased not to be desecrated and for citizens to unite their forces around the survivors.
"Let us never allow anyone to endanger the lives of innocent people again. Let us never again sacrifice the standards and security of people for individual profit and wealth. Nothing is more valuable than human life, especially the lives of the young," concluded the country's president.
According to information from a BTA reporter at the scene of the tragedy, worried people are waiting in front of the disco in Kocani, while others are calling by phone to make sure that their relatives are not among the victims of the fire.
Earlier, the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia announced that all bodies have been removed from the scene of the fire. They were sent for forensic examination in Skopje.
Relatives and friends of the deceased opposed this decision, the MIA agency reported.
The director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics, Alexander Stankov, told the agency that the autopsy and identification would be completed "this week" and called on people to be patient.
"There is no other way to reach the true cause of death and the true identification other than an autopsy. In fact, this is also required by the protocols issued by Interpol (of which the country is a member – ed. note) for identifying victims in mass accidents," Stankov said.
He added that teams have been formed at the institute for this purpose, but so far not a single body has been submitted for examination.
Monday will be a Day of Mourning in Montenegro in memory of the victims of the tragedy in North Macedonia, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic announced. This was reported to BTA by the Montenegrin MINA agency.
Spajic said that he received the news with great sadness.
“The Government of Montenegro stands by the friendly people of North Macedonia in this difficult moment and hereby informs the public that Monday, March 17, will be a Day of Mourning in Montenegro“, Spajic wrote on the social network Ex.
On behalf of the government, he expressed his deep condolences to the relatives of the deceased, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic also expressed his condolences to the President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, to the citizens of this country and to the families of those who died in the fire in Kocani.
“We are speechless in the face of this tragedy, we deeply sympathize and share the sadness with our friends in North Macedonia“, Milatović wrote.
Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić expressed his condolences to the citizens and leadership of North Macedonia, adding that Montenegro remembers the solidarity and compassion that North Macedonia has shown it in difficult times.