Grief, anger in northern Macedonia, as thousands of mourn victims of fire at the nightclub | News

Northern Macedonia took the flags to half staff as thousands of people gathered at monuments to mourn the 59 people killed At a nightclub, he flashes over the weekend.

The fire erupted during a concert by a hip-hop duet called DNK in The Pulse Club in Kokani around 3am (02:00 GMT) on Sunday when sparks from Flaz lit the ceiling. About 155 people were also injured, triggering the pouring of grief in the small Balkan country.

Authorities have been investigating the sailing licensing provisions and the allegations of bribery related to the nightclub, which was packed with young disclosors with double capacity as the fire was torn through it.

So far, the authorities have arrested and detained about 20 people for questioning about the fire, including government officials and nightclub manager.

One of DNK's singers, Andrei Georgiyski, was killed and the other, Vladimir Blazev, was wounded while a guitarist, drummer and reserve singer also died.

The death rate may be increased as 20 of the victims are in critical condition, Health Minister Arben Tarawari said on Monday on Monday.

Countries, including Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turks, have admitted about 50 patients with the most serious treatment injuries, while several countries also send medical teams to northern Macedonia, officials said.

“All patients who have been transferred abroad are currently in stable condition. We hope to stay this way and that we will receive positive news from abroad, “Tarawari said.

“We can't keep quiet”

In the capital, Skopje, hundreds of people have arranged at a university in frigid rain for a memorial ceremony led by a student, during which people observe a few minutes of silence, put flowers and lit candles with an improvised shrine.

Emotions have risen high for some.

“I think this is not accidental, but literally direct murder because of all the violations that are being made in the country. We can't keep quiet all the time, as much as we are afraid, “Angela Zumbakova, a 19-year-old psychology student, told the AFP agency.

“(Nightclub) works under non -standard conditions. This is not what this is, and people have made money from him. Who is responsible? “Sasa Jenic, a school teacher whose 15-year-old daughter escaped from the fire with Burns on her hands,” Reuters told news agency.

A state coronary said the bodies were worn to identify lots of morgue due to the large number of people killed.

Dozens of people were waiting in line in Kokani to sign books for condolences.

“We are all in shock and I am shocked – as a mother, as a person, as a president,” President Gordana Davkova Sildzhanovska said in an address to the nation on Sunday night.

The condolences have also been poured by leaders across Europe, including the hospitalized Pope Francis.

Considering Kokani, Maya Blasevska from Al Jazeera said that the people who gathered in the city center to express their sadness have identified the culprit for the fire.

“They blame, as they said, Macedonia's corrupt system for this tragedy,” she said.

The government of Northern Macedonia ordered an extensive three -day inspection to be carried out in all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting on Monday.

Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said the preliminary check of the nightclub has revealed numerous violations of the Safety Code, including lack of emergency exits, insufficient number of fire extinguishers and incorrect emergency vehicles.

The fire made the roof of the one -storey building partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris.

“The gaps are significant. I can confidently say that this is the failure of the system, “the prosecutor told reporters, also noting the lack of an aboveground system for fire extinguishers and fire alarms and the use of flammable materials to arrange the interior walls.

Kochevski said his service was working to determine the criminal liability of a number of people for “serious crimes against public security” and other crimes.

“People were at odds with the regulations and technical rules of protection measures and thus caused a danger to the life and work of people on a large scale,” he said.