Grief-stricken town in North Macedonia prepares for burials as nightclub fire triggers protests

People confront police near the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

KOCANI, North Macedonia — Municipal workers in Kocani dug graves Tuesday for the dozens of young people killed in a nightclub fire as authorities braced for another round of protests in cities across North Macedonia.

Authorities said the the nightclub blaze in Kocani early Sunday was caused by indoor use of pyrotechnics and numerous safety violations at the venue, killing 59 people during a live concert and injuring more than 150.

Officials in North Macedonia appealed for calm as student and other groups planned fresh protests later Tuesday. The horrific fire has sparked outrage over alleged bribery and corruption linked to safety violations at the nightclub.

Crews used excavators to dig lines of graves in Kocani as the town awaits the burial of young residents whose remains were still being processed for identification.

“It’s very bad, very bad. I have been crying for three days,” resident Dragi Ignjatov said. “Children of our friends are gone. It can’t be worse than this, for Macedonia and for our city.”

Demonstrations took place Monday in both Kocani and the capital, Skopje, with some turning violent -- protesters in Kocani overturned a van, hurled rocks at a municipal building, and smashed a cafeteria believed to have shared ownership with the nightclub.

“We must call once again for reason,” Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said in an interview with private Sitel television late Monday. “We must allow the prosecuting authorities to do their job so that in the end we can finally normalize the state.”

Investigations have so revealed that the club was operating at at least double its 250-person capacity without proper licensing. Official 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.

Neighbouring Serbia and Bulgaria, which immediately offered assistance following the tragedy, are observing a day of national mourning Tuesday in solidarity with North Macedonia.

Medical specialists from the Czech Republic, Serbia and Israel have arrived to support treatment efforts for the injured, Health Ministry official said. And the European Union is helping transport burn victims to nearby countries.

Around 50 patients are being treated in mostly neighbouring and nearby countries, the majority of them with serious burns.

The disaster has intensified scrutiny of corruption in North Macedonia, which the EU has previously identified as a major obstacle to the country’s accession to the bloc. Authorities are investigating allegations that club owners bribed officials to bypass safety regulations.

The government has ordered nationwide inspections of all nightclubs and other entertainment venues.

In neighbouring Greece, North Macedonia’s ministers of foreign affairs and health visited a hospital where three burn victims, aged 19, 25 and 26, are being treated in intensive care.

Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski described the fire as “the most tragic moment in the history of my nation.”

Testorides reported from Skopje, North Macedonia. Associated Press writer Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece contributed to this report.

Konstantin Testorides And Eldar Ermic, The Associated Press