The outgoing mayor of Kocani, Ljupco Papazov, along with his two predecessors, Nikolchet Iliev and Ratko Dimitrovski, have been arrested by Macedonian police as part of the investigation into the fire at the “Puls” discotheque, according to local media reports.

Police operations are currently underway, authorized by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Kočani, in connection with the tragic incident at the “Puls” club, which resulted in the deaths of 59 individuals and left around 200 others injured.

The State Prosecutor’s Office of North Macedonia has announced that efforts to detain those suspected of involvement in the fire will continue overnight, with more details set to be released after the operation concludes.

On March 16, Mayor Ljupco Papazov stated that he would resign irrevocably due to the tragic fire at the “Puls” discotheque, expressing his commitment to cooperate fully with authorities.

Following his resignation, Papazov was questioned by prosecutors on March 17, with the public prosecutor’s office indicating that a decision regarding his status in the ongoing proceedings would be made soon.

Ratko Dimitrovski served as mayor from 2009 to 2017, while Nikolče Iliev held the position from 2017 to 2021.

The fire at the “Puls” discotheque, located approximately 100 kilometers east of Skopje, erupted on March 16 at 2:30 AM during a concert by the band DNK, despite a ticket sale of 500, with around 250 attendees present.

Preliminary investigations revealed the discotheque lacked a hydrant network and sufficient fire extinguishers, pyrotechnics were used without authorization, and the venue operated without a legal permit. Additionally, there was no written agreement between the organizers and the performing artists.

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