Widespread license violations exposed as North Macedonia mourns nightclub fire victims
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Authorities in North Macedonia said Wednesday they have shuttered dozens of nightclubs and entertainment venues following a deadly fire that killed 59 people at a live pop concert.
Government spokesperson Marija Miteva said that out of 50 establishments inspected in several cities, only 22 had valid licenses.
'For all premises with expired licenses or no license at all, the state market inspectorate has ordered the suspension of activities until all necessary documents are reviewed and validated,' Miteva said.
The deadly fire that erupted in the eastern town of Kocani on Sunday occurred while pyrotechnics were being used at an indoor venue later found to have multiple safety and licensing violations.
Authorities said Wednesday that 16 people remain in custody for questioning, following police interviews with more than 70 individuals.
North Macedonia has declared a week of national mourning after the disaster, which has profoundly shaken this small Balkan nation of two million people and triggered protests and large outdoor vigils.
Funeral services for the mostly young concertgoers are scheduled for Thursday in Kocani, and authorities said autopsies and formal identifications have been completed. Memorial services will also be held elsewhere in the country.
'Let us be calm, let us be gentle, let us be peaceful, patient. Let our prayers and our thoughts be directed towards our deceased, but also towards our injured for their health and recovery,' said Metropolitan Bishop Ilarion of Bregalnica, a region that includes Kocani.
Among the 150 injured, dozens of patients have been transferred to hospitals across Europe, primarily for burn treatment. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Greece are providing support in an EU-backed effort.
Stojance Angelov, who heads the country's crisis management agency, said the country's Orthodox Church is leading the funeral arrangements.
He added in an online post: 'No words can truly capture the depth of this tragedy or express the overwhelming sadness I feel. Broken by grief, I cannot find anything strong enough to convey my condolences to the families who lost their beloved sons and daughters.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
33 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers is in custody after surrendering to police
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (AP) — The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge. Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Jail records show Boelter was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away. 'One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,' Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter's arrest. The search for Boelter was the 'largest manhunt in the state's history,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman's home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled. Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him. During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said. Jail records show Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 1:02 a.m. Central Time Monday and include two mug shots, one from the front and one from the side, of Boelter wearing an orange prison shirt. A targeted attack Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would've continued had Brooklyn Park offices not checked on Hortman's home, causing Boelter to flee. The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champin early Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed after Boelter's arrest indicated their adult daughter called 911 just after 2 a.m. to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents. After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker had been shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans' home. Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says. It says they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, the complaint said. Authorities said Boelter posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car. No details on motive Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter's arrest. A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about health care facilities, according to the officials. A Minnesota official told AP lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other. Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn't say what he had done. 'I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way,' he wrote in messages viewed by AP. An escalation in political violence The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned. 'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' Walz said Sunday. On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support. 'John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,' Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. 'He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.' Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans . People scrawled messages on small notes including, 'You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.' Pam Stein came with flowers and knelt by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an 'absolute powerhouse' and 'the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.' ___ Karnowski reported from Minneapolis, and Balsamo and Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian in New York; Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Infant among 3 people fatally shot at Utah carnival after argument and a teen is in custody
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) — Three people, including an 8-month-old infant, were fatally shot at a Utah carnival after two groups got into an argument, police said. Police officers working at WestFest at Centennial Park in West Valley City saw the two groups Sunday night. 'As they approached to break up the altercation, a 16-year-old male from one of the groups pulled out a gun and fired,' the department posted on X . One officer fired back but did not hit anyone. In addition to the infant, a 41-year-old woman described as a bystander was killed, police said. An 18-year-old man in one of the groups also was struck by gunshots and died. Two other teens, a 17-year-old female and a 15-year-old male, were both hit in the arm, police said. It was not clear if they were connected to the groups involved. Their conditions were not known. The 16-year-old was taken into custody, police said. His name has not been released. West Valley City, which has about 134,000 people, is a suburb of Salt Lake City. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Jakob Ingebrigtsen's father convicted of assaulting daughter and acquitted of other abuse charges
SANDNES, Norway (AP) — Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father of Norwegian track star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, was convicted Monday of assaulting his daughter and handed a suspended prison sentence. A court acquitted Gjert of other charges including abusing Jakob, a multiple Olympic and world middle-distance champion. In a trial that started in March and has gripped Norway, Gjert, 59, was accused of an alleged years-long campaign of domestic abuse toward Jakob and younger sister, Ingrid. A verdict in the case was delivered in writing by Soer Rogaland District Court and Gjert was convicted of a single incident of assault against his daughter, his legal team confirmed to The Associated Press. He was given a 15-day suspended sentence and ordered to pay NOK 10,000 ($1,010) in compensation. John Christian Elden and Heidi Reisvang, defense attorneys from Elden Law Firm, said it was the court's conclusion that there 'was no evidence to show that Gjert Ingebrigtsen created a continuous fear in his children.' 'There are no winners in this case,' Reisvang, who was assisting counsel during the trial, told the AP. 'He (Gjert) hopes that one day he will have contact and a relationship with his family again.' Gjert became a prominent media figure in Norway in 2016 following his involvement in the TV documentary series Team Ingebrigtsen, in which he was seen coaching his three track-and-field sons, Jakob, Filip and Henrik. The series ran until 2021. By 2022 the trio had parted ways with their coach-father and the following year co-signed a column in the national newspaper, VG, accusing Gjert of physical violence and intimidation. The police opened an investigation, with court proceedings eventually brought relating to Gjert's treatment of Jakob and Ingrid. Gjert continued coaching after the split with his sons and now guides Jakob's 1500 meters Norwegian rival Narve Gilje Nordas. ___ AP sports:
