Thousands attend funerals for victims of North Macedonia nightclub fire

By Fatos Bytyci and Fedja Grulovic

KOCANI, North Macedonia (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners gathered at cemeteries across North Macedonia on Thursday for the funerals of dozens of people killed in a nightclub fire, the Balkan country's worst disaster in decades.

Fifty-nine people were killed and more than 170 were injured when a blaze broke out during a concert on Sunday in the small, unlicensed "Pulse" club in the town of Kocani.

Crowds of people dressed in black and holding candles and flowers streamed towards the cemetery in Kocani, where at least 30 new graves were dug this week.

At the head of each grave, the name of the victim was displayed on a piece of white paper stuck to a thin wooden stick. Priests prayed over the coffins as they were laid at the grave sides.

“The city is in shock, all these children lost, such a big tragedy that we will never be able to get over," said Luka Anastasov, 60, as he returned from the funerals in Kocani.

Ceremonies took place in towns across the country.

In the capital Skopje, 80 km (50 miles) west of Kocani, some 1,000 people, including prominent musicians, attended the funeral of Andrej Gorgieski, 43, a singer in the DNK band that was performing when the fire broke out.

The disaster has devastated Kocani, which has a population of around 25,000 people.

Most stores and cafes have been closed during a week of nationwide mourning. Reminders of the fire are everywhere: especially in the photos of the young people who were killed, which are taped to street lamps, trees and doors all over town.

Under the grief lies much anger.

Authorities have said the nightclub's licence was illegally obtained and that the venue lacked fire extinguishers and emergency exits and was made of flammable materials.

More than 20 people have been detained in connection with the fire, including government officials and the manager of the nightclub.

Protests calling for an end to corruption took place in Kocani and Skopje this week. Sporadic violence broke out in Kocani on Monday when a group of people vandalised a pub that protesters said was run by the same person who owned "Pulse". Later, hundreds of people descended on the mayor's home, throwing rocks and smashing windows.

Authorities began inspecting nightclubs and cafes around the country this week for potential safety violations.  

(Additional reporting Aleksandar Vasovic; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing Edward McAllister and Frances Kerry)