The Mayor of Kocani, Ljupco Papazov, announced his irrevocable resignation today following a tragic fire that resulted in the deaths of 59 individuals and left 162 others injured at a local disco.

In a post on Facebook, Papazov urged all relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire and emphasized his willingness to cooperate fully with these institutions.

“Though I did not possess direct legal authority in this matter, I am prepared to answer any questions regarding my actions and involvement,” wrote Ljupco Papazov.

“The scale of this loss is devastating! There are no words to capture the sorrow we all experience. These young people were part of our community. I knew many of them and their families; some were friends of my family. The shock and grief I feel will stay with me forever. This disaster has plunged the residents of Kočani and all of Macedonia into mourning, and the emptiness it has created is unbearable,” Papazov added.

The fire at the “Puls” discotheque in Kočani, located approximately 100 kilometers east of Skopje, ignited at 02:30 on Sunday, reportedly due to the use of pyrotechnics during a concert by the band DNK, and was brought under control around 04:45.

Authorities indicated that there were roughly 500 attendees at the disco, despite only 250 tickets being sold.

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