A father has said his only son, who died in a nightclub fire in North Macedonia, had “only [just] started to live” and that more than 150 families have been left “devastated” by the tragedy.
Dragi Stojanov’s son Tomce, 21, was among the crowd inside Pulse nightclub in the eastern town of Kocani in the early hours of Sunday when the fire broke out.
Local media reports and video from inside the venue suggest fireworks were set off while local band DNK was performing, causing the roof to catch fire.
Speaking at the scene on Sunday, interior minister Panche Toshkovski confirmed at least 59 people have died, 39 of whom have been identified, and more than 150 others injured.
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Mr Stojanov told reporters at the scene: “It’s my only child and he died. What is left for me in life? I don’t need my life anymore.”
Asked for his age, he said his son had “only [just] started to live”.
Mr Stojanov stayed at the scene “all night”, he added, claiming authorities “can’t even get the bodies out” and that there “must be 200 people inside”.
He described the victims as “children… burnt, beyond recognition”.
“There are corpses, just corpses inside. They can’t pull them out. One-hundred-and-fifty families are devastated.”
Four arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the incident, which unfolded at 2.35am on Sunday.
Survivor’s sister was ‘stomped over’
An unnamed survivor also spoke to reporters at the scene.
She suffered injuries to her ear and knee – and her sister is still missing.
“The fire broke out suddenly and everyone started running for the exit,” she said. “There were charred bodies. I don’t know… everyone is stressed.”
She added that she and her family have been “unable to find” her sibling in any of the hospitals.
“She is injured. Running outside she fell and people stomped over her,” she told reporters.
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Rescuers and forensic investigators are still working at the scene, which was sealed off by police on Sunday morning.
Officials said evidence would be passed to the local prosecutor.
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The country’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski described the deadly incident as a “difficult and very sad day for Macedonia”.
“The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable,” he wrote in a post on X.
He promised the government would do “everything in their power to at least slightly alleviate their pain”.
Among those offering their condolences were Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our North Macedonian friends on this sad day,” Mr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
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