Corruption debate in North Macedonia following fire disaster: 'If corruption doesn't collapse, we won't be able to exist'
A fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia on Sunday resulted in the deaths of 59 people. Authorities determined during the post-accident investigation that the nightclub was operating beyond its capacity. It was also noted that safety measures required by regulations against the possibility of fire had not been taken. It was reported that 15 people, including the nightclub owner, have been detained.
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North Macedonia's Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski announced that preliminary investigations revealed the club was operating without a proper license. Toshkovski pointed out that while the nightclub had a capacity of 250 people, there were at least 500 people inside on the night of the fire. Expressing that there are 'suspicions of bribery and corruption' regarding the incident, Toshkovski stated that the investigation is ongoing.
The fire broke out during a concert at a nightclub in the city of Kocani. It was reported that 59 people lost their lives and 155 were injured in the fire. Initial police investigations determined that the club was unlicensed and operating without adhering to safety regulations. Following the detention of 15 individuals by authorities, the North Macedonian government announced that they would work to resolve the country's corruption and bribery issues in response to the public outcry.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, the negligence of local officials and the fact that club owners 'evaded legal obligations through bribery' contributed to the fire at Club Pulse turning into a disaster. It was alleged that people could not escape after the disaster began because Club Pulse was not built in accordance with fire safety regulations.
19-year-old Marija Taseva described what happened during the fire, stating the following:
"We even tried to get out of the bathroom, but we only found bars (on the windows). I managed to get out somehow. I fell down the stairs and they walked over me, they trampled me... I barely survived and I couldn't breathe.'
SUPPORT FROM TURKEY AND NEIGHBORS
Ministry of Health officials announced that the government has accepted offers of assistance from neighboring countries such as Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Turkey. Serbia reported that preparations are underway to accept injured individuals whose lives remain in danger.
Minister of Health Arben Taravari stated that the death toll could rise, noting that 20 of the injured are in critical condition. The government has declared seven days of national mourning. Authorities reported that most of the victims died or were injured due to burns, smoke inhalation, and a stampede while trying to reach the building's only exit. It was also stated that there are 16-year-old children among the injured.
In the Greek city of Thessaloniki, three people aged 25, 25, and 19 are being treated at a civilian hospital with severe burns, and health officials announced that one has been taken into surgery. It was noted that the condition of the young people is critical.
REACTION TO CORRUPTION FROM THE PRIME MINISTER
President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited burn victims at a hospital in Skopje and spoke with the relatives of patients waiting outside. Davkova promised the people of North Macedonia that those responsible for the disaster would be punished. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, in a statement made late Sunday, emphasized that this was 'the hardest day of my life' and that the country must defeat corruption.
Mickoski ordered a comprehensive inspection of all nightclubs and cabarets across the country within the next three days, stating:
'I entered politics to change something. I encountered a deeply corrupt system that has been created and nurtured for decades, involving people from every party and every profile. If this system does not collapse, this country will not be able to exist.'
North Macedonia Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski