Victims of North Macedonia nightclub fire transferred to Belgium for treatment
Four victims of the weekend’s deadly fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia have been transferred to Belgium for treatment of burns, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs confirmed.
Fire broke out in the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, about 100km from the capital, Skopje, in the night from Saturday to Sunday. At least 59 people were killed and 155 were hospitalised.
Belgium sent a B-FAST reconnaissance team to North Macedonia after the country’s government requested assistance. The team is composed of specialised personnel from the ministry of Defence, the FPS Public Health and the FPS Foreign Affairs.
With the North Macedonian ministry of Public Health, the team evaluated the aid that was needed and decided to transfer four patients to Belgium. The treatment of severe burns is complex and most hospitals in southeast Europe are only partially equipped for it.
Specialised care
“In the wake of this devastating tragedy, Belgium expresses its full solidarity with the North Macedonian people and all the families affected,” said Foreign minister Maxime Prévot.
“We are mobilising our resources to provide specialised care to patients transferred to Belgium. Our hospitals and medical teams are ready to take them in and offer them the best possible treatment.”
"Belgium expresses its full solidarity with the North Macedonian people and all the families affected"
The packed nightclub had only one emergency exit, which was locked. There were only two fire extinguishers and the building was full of flammable materials, the public prosecutor reported earlier this week.
During a hip-hop concert on Saturday night, fireworks on stage started a fire on the ceiling. Hundreds of people tried to flee as the flames spread. The only emergency exit was a metal door that was locked and had no handle on the inside. More than 20 people are under investigation. Some are in custody, while others are in hospital.
The owner was operating under a forged licence, Interior minister Pance Toskovski said, referring to corruption and promising arrests in various government institutions.
Among those who died are members of DNK, the group that was performing when the fire broke out. A 25-year-old professional footballer, Andrej Lazarov, died of smoke inhalation as he was trying to help other victims, his club FC Shkupi reported.
A gathering in tribute to victims of a fire that tore through an overcrowded nightclub killing 59 people in Kocani, North Macedonia, 18 March 2025 © PHOTO ROBERT ATANASOVSKI / AFP
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