North Macedonia was in deep mourning on March 20 as funerals were held in several towns and the capital, Skopje, for victims of a nightclub fire that left 59 people dead and sparked anti-corruption protests.
Grief and shock have gripped the Balkan country since the fire at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kocani on the night March 16, which was caused by a pyrotechnics accident during a hip-hop concert.
The youngest of the fire’s victims was just 16, while the oldest was 48. Three other victims were 17.
The government is yet to release a full list of names of the victims.
Apart from Kocani, around 80 kilometers east of Skopje, funerals were held in Stip, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, and Skopje, and some smaller towns.
'All Of Macedonia Is Crying'
Reporters for RFE/RL’s Balkan Service witnessed citizens form long lines in city squares to light candles and pay tribute to the deceased.
In Kocani, shops were shuttered, roads were closed, and residents appeared to be still reeling from the tragedy.
Authorities, who have come under pressure following the tragedy, published a protocol for the media and for the public attending the ceremonies, where hundreds of mostly black-clad mourners gathered.
Residents of Kocani, Skopje, and other North Macedonian cities staged protests in the aftermath of the disaster, demanding an end to the corruption that they say makes buildings across the country unfit for purpose.
"We expect our institutions to start working properly. We are overwhelmed. Ordinary people are suffering. Today Kocani is crying. All of Macedonia is crying," one protester told RFE/RL at a protest on March 18.
Protesters labeled the civic initiative “Who’s Next.”
Police said 15 people were detained in connection with the fire, while Kocani authorities confirmed the nightclub was operating without a license.
More than 170 people were forced to seek treatment in hospitals in North Macedonia and abroad after suffering injuries in the blaze.
Health Minister Arben Taravari said on March 20 that of the 20 people previously stated as being in critical condition, 10 were still in a serious condition, but no longer faced a threat to their lives.
Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski in recent days has visited victims recuperating in Greece, Bulgaria, and Croatia, where he met with counterparts and thanked them for their support.
“I am here as a representative of a state grieving for 59 lost lives. At this moment, there are no appropriate words that can be spoken,” Mucunski told journalists in front of a medical clinic in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, on March 20.
