North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has been closely monitoring the events in Kočani since this morning following a tragic fire at a discotheque, as announced by the government. In light of this incident, Mickoski has reportedly postponed his trip to Podgorica for the meeting of the European People’s Party (EPP) and intends to request the rescheduling of the Western Balkans Summit that was due to take place in Skopje.

“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the horrific tragedy in Kočani. This is an extremely difficult and mournful day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreversible, and the grief of the affected families, friends, and loved ones is beyond measure,” Mickoski expressed on Facebook.

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia stated that he will provide the public with further details about the measures taken throughout the day after assessing all circumstances and reviewing the actions of the relevant authorities.

He urged all responsible agencies—healthcare, police, and local authorities—to implement urgent actions to assist the injured and to support the families of the victims.

“The government is fully mobilized and will take all necessary actions to address the aftermath and establish the reasons behind this tragedy,” Mickoski declared.

North Macedonia’s Interior Minister Panče Toškovski highlighted in a media statement that the Prime Minister is currently in Kočani, but did not confirm if there would be an emergency session of the Government.

In a statement made shortly after nine o’clock, Toškovski reported that, based on initial information, 51 individuals perished in the fire at the disco in Kočani, and over 100 were injured, subsequently transported to hospitals in Štip, Kočani, and Skopje.

He noted that the fire at the “Puls” discotheque erupted around 2:30 a.m. while a concert by the group DNK was underway, and initial reports suggest that it was ignited by sparks from the pyrotechnics employed for lighting effects.

News