Latest news with #ClubPulse
The Independent
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
British-Macedonian teenager says ‘it could have been me' at club blaze vigil
A British-Macedonian teenager who was out clubbing the night of a deadly nightclub fire has described his mother ringing him 'frantically' and thinking 'it could have been me'. The fire broke out at Club Pulse in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, in the early hours of last Sunday during a DNK concert, who are a popular hip-hop duo in the country. Mourners gathered to pay their respects at a vigil on Sunday at the North Macedonian embassy in London, laying flowers and holding signs reading 'Kocani in our hearts' and signing a book of condolences. The fire tore through the nightclub leaving 59 people dead, including all but one of the band members, and 155 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled amid a bid to escape towards the building's single exit. People as young as 16 were among the casualties and the nation declared seven days of mourning. Bobby Shafier, 18, whose family is from the capital city Skopje, laid flowers in front of the embassy and told the PA news agency: 'I was actually in Macedonia when it happened. I was out clubbing the night before and I posted it on my Instagram story. 'I woke up to my family calling me, because my mum, who is Macedonian, had found out from a friend and she phoned me quite frantically, very worried. 'The day after it happened I went past the hospital and it was full of people. Thankfully, I did not know anyone who was there but my friends knew people and we went to exchange stories of people they knew. 'I had just gone for the weekend to see my family. The fact that I saw people in the hospital… It really got to me.' Mr Shafier, who had been out at a separate nightclub in the country, said it had been a 'horrible moment thinking 'that could have been me''. At 1.30pm, the gathering held a minute's silence and Zaneta Skerlev, a former journalist for the BBC world service, gave a speech saying the Macedonian people are 'not just united in grief but united in purpose'. Ms Skerlev told the PA news agency: 'There is anger and there is sadness. In Macedonia, everybody knows everybody and is within two degrees of separation of one another.' Ms Skerlev and Bojana Reiner, 46, from Skopje, who knew the lead singer of the band, compared the tragedy to the Grenfell Tower fire and blamed the disaster on a lack of government regulation in the country. Vida Milovanovic, an older lady from Skopje, whose friend knew a husband and wife who died in the disaster, leaving behind two orphaned children, said it was time for the government to 'regulate and issue proper licenses', adding: 'The sadness is beyond words.' Barbara Irakoska, 35, also from Skopje, who has friends who knew people who died, said: 'The whole thing is traumatic. It will last for a lifetime. Not just for the families, but for every young person in Macedonia who will have a huge trauma after this event.' The North Macedonian ambassador to the UK, Katerina Stavreska, who did not organise the vigil but came to show her support, told PA: 'It is a sad loss because it is a very small city, about 25,000 people. When they are having a wedding, the whole city is attending. 'It is a tragic loss for the whole country. With globalisation, we are suffering a brain drain and now to lose 60 young lives in just an hour is truly a sad loss. 'This is the way we are expressing our solidarity, which is in the blood of Macedonian people.'
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British-Macedonian teenager says ‘it could have been me' at club blaze vigil
A British-Macedonian teenager who was out clubbing the night of a deadly nightclub fire has described his mother ringing him 'frantically' and thinking 'it could have been me'. The fire broke out at Club Pulse in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, in the early hours of last Sunday during a DNK concert, who are a popular hip-hop duo in the country. Mourners gathered to pay their respects at a vigil on Sunday at the North Macedonian embassy in London, laying flowers and holding signs reading 'Kocani in our hearts' and signing a book of condolences. The fire tore through the nightclub leaving 59 people dead, including all but one of the band members, and 155 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled amid a bid to escape towards the building's single exit. People as young as 16 were among the casualties and the nation declared seven days of mourning. Bobby Shafier, 18, whose family is from the capital city Skopje, laid flowers in front of the embassy and told the PA news agency: 'I was actually in Macedonia when it happened. I was out clubbing the night before and I posted it on my Instagram story. 'I woke up to my family calling me, because my mum, who is Macedonian, had found out from a friend and she phoned me quite frantically, very worried. 'The day after it happened I went past the hospital and it was full of people. Thankfully, I did not know anyone who was there but my friends knew people and we went to exchange stories of people they knew. 'I had just gone for the weekend to see my family. The fact that I saw people in the hospital… It really got to me.' Mr Shafier, who had been out at a separate nightclub in the country, said it had been a 'horrible moment thinking 'that could have been me''. At 1.30pm, the gathering held a minute's silence and Zaneta Skerlev, a former journalist for the BBC world service, gave a speech saying the Macedonian people are 'not just united in grief but united in purpose'. Ms Skerlev told the PA news agency: 'There is anger and there is sadness. In Macedonia, everybody knows everybody and is within two degrees of separation of one another.' Ms Skerlev and Bojana Reiner, 46, from Skopje, who knew the lead singer of the band, compared the tragedy to the Grenfell Tower fire and blamed the disaster on a lack of government regulation in the country. Vida Milovanovic, an older lady from Skopje, whose friend knew a husband and wife who died in the disaster, leaving behind two orphaned children, said it was time for the government to 'regulate and issue proper licenses', adding: 'The sadness is beyond words.' Barbara Irakoska, 35, also from Skopje, who has friends who knew people who died, said: 'The whole thing is traumatic. It will last for a lifetime. Not just for the families, but for every young person in Macedonia who will have a huge trauma after this event.' The North Macedonian ambassador to the UK, Katerina Stavreska, who did not organise the vigil but came to show her support, told PA: 'It is a sad loss because it is a very small city, about 25,000 people. When they are having a wedding, the whole city is attending. 'It is a tragic loss for the whole country. With globalisation, we are suffering a brain drain and now to lose 60 young lives in just an hour is truly a sad loss. 'This is the way we are expressing our solidarity, which is in the blood of Macedonian people.'
Euronews
19-03-2025
- Euronews
North Macedonia shutters illegal clubs after 59 killed in Kočani fire
Authorities in North Macedonia have shuttered dozens of nightclubs and entertainment venues across the country for not having valid operating licenses. It comes after a fire broke out at a concert in an unlicensed venue in the eastern town of Kočani on Sunday which killed 59 people. Government spokesperson Marija Miteva said that out of 50 establishments inspected in several cities, only 22 had valid licences. "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 fire in Club Pulse happened after pyrotechnics were used during a concert given by the popular hip-hop duo, DNK. Multiple safety and licensing violations were subsequently discovered at the club. Authorities said on Wednesday that 16 people remain in custody for questioning, following police interviews with more than 70 individuals. North Macedonia declared a week of national mourning after the disaster, which has shaken the Balkan nation of two million people and triggered anti-corruption protests and mass vigils. Funeral services for the mostly young concertgoers are scheduled for Thursday in Kočani, 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," said Metropolitan Bishop Ilarion of Bregalnica, a region that includes Kočani. "Let our prayers and our thoughts be directed towards our deceased, but also towards our injured for their health and recovery." Of the 150 people injured, dozens have been transferred to hospitals across Europe, primarily for specialist treatment for burns. Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece are providing support in an EU-backed effort led by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre. Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Hungary, Luxembourg and Norway also made immediate offers of assistance in the aftermath of the tragedy. Stojance Angelov, who heads the country's crisis management agency, said the country's Orthodox Church is leading the funeral arrangements. "No words can truly capture the depth of this tragedy or express the overwhelming sadness I feel," he said in an online post. "Broken by grief, I cannot find anything strong enough to convey my condolences to the families who lost their beloved sons and daughters." The European Commission's highly-anticipated White Paper on Defence plans for member states to start pouring hundreds of billions of euros into the sector before the end of the year but largely fails to outline innovative and common financing opportunities. The White Paper, released on Wednesday, broadly rehashes the Commission's ReArm Europe proposal unveiled two weeks ago that could see member states mobilise up to €800 billion for defence over the next four years by notably, pooling orders and procuring equipment together. Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, described it as "a pivotal moment" for the bloc. "The value we add by working together is priceless. It gives us a competitive advantage that is unrivalled anywhere in the world," she told reporters during a press conference to present the White Paper. The main financial firepower for member states comes from the activation of the national escape clause in the Stability and Growth Pact, which would allow them to deviate from stringent EU fiscal rules that limit debt and deficit levels to 3% and 60% of GDP respectively. An EU Commission official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday morning that they hope all 27 member states will request to activate the escape clause before, or in, April. The Commission will then have to assess the request, but "we hope the process can be concluded before the summer break", the official said. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen previously said that by allowing member states to pour in an additional 1.5% of GDP on defence over the next four years, member states should be able to invest some €650 billion into defence. Another EU official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, however said that "the final outcome, we hope, will be even higher". Accessing the other main financing option, the so-called SAFE instrument the Commission hopes to urgently set up to raise money on the capital markets to then loan up to €150 billion to member states, will require governments to submit requests for funding within six months. Capabilities the Commission has identified as priority areas include air and missile defence, artillery systems, ammunition and missiles, drones and counter-drone systems, AI, Quantum, cyber and electronic warfare and strategic enablers. One of the officials quoted above said negotiations between member states and the Commission on the basis of these plans should be relatively fast as the money will be given as loans member states will have to repay and not as grants. The other three main proposals outlined in ReArm Europe to allow member states to invest more in defence over the next four years include expanding the mandate of the European Investment Bank, allowing the use of cohesion funds into defence projects, and enabling the use of savings and private financing into the sector. The only new financial option outlined in the White Paper is the possibility for member states to waive VAT for purchases they make jointly with other member states through the SAFE instrument. It is unclear however how much money this will save member states. One of the Commission officials defended the lack of new financing options, saying ReArm "is already a considerable answer to the question of how we can help member states" and that what is included "doesn't necessarily exhaust the scope of this debate." EU leaders should return to the issue at a summit in June. Some, like France's Emmanuel Macron, have for instance called for the use of so-called Eurobonds as well as the deployment of own resources, such as a digital tax. Macron however seemingly secured a big win with the Commission including a European preference to secure money through SAFE, which would require the equipment purchased to have 65% of its content emanating from the EU and for the EU manufacturer to have design authority over the remaining 35%. This is to ensure that no third country can block the use of the equipment going forward. The other flagship proposals in the White Paper include a European Military Sales Mechanism proposal to allow member states to aggregate demand and jointly procure equipment, already outlined by von der Leyen on Tuesday, as well as a European Armament Technological Roadmap, to boost investment in disruptive technologies for military purposes including AI and Quantum. Finally, the Commission proposes to create strategic stockpiles and defence industrial readiness pools. This will be facilitated through the long-awaited European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) regulation that is set to include a possibility to financially support stockpiling, according to one of the EU officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The European Parliament said last week that it would aim to fast-track the regulation. The aim of stockpiling military capabilities, an EU Commission official said, is that "we want to be more agile and responsive to any crises". Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, speaking alongside Kallas, told reporters that the White Paper is "the beginning of the road and not an easy one" and that the priority for the EU's executive is now "implementation, implementation, implementation". "Putin will not be deterred if we shall read the White Paper to him. He will be deterred if we shall turn the White Paper into action and if we shall use it to build real drones, tanks and artillery for our defence," he said.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- The Independent
British Macedonian who lost family friend to club blaze does not expect justice
A British Macedonian who lost a family friend in a deadly nightclub fire has said he does not expect justice as he likened the tragedy to the blaze at Grenfell Tower. Nick Nasev, 49, a translator from London, said he went into 'panic mode' when he first heard about the blaze as he has many relatives who live in Kocani, North Macedonia, where the tragedy took place. The fire broke out at Club Pulse in the early hours of Sunday during a DNK concert, a popular hip-hop duo in the country. It tore through the nightclub leaving 59 people dead and 155 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled amid a bid to escape towards the building's single exit. People as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation has declared seven days of mourning. Mr Nasev, whose father grew up in Orizari, a suburb of the town of Kochani, has many relatives still in the area including all of his father's cousins and their children and grandchildren. 'At first I thought that one of my cousin's daughters would have been at the disco as she is 16-years-old,' Mr Nasev told the PA news agency. 'My immediate family and I started trying to get in contact with relatives in the Kochani area but no one was responding. 'Word then got around that my cousin's teenage children had been to the DNK performance at Club Pulse and that they were missing. 'Since this morning, it's been confirmed that they had not gone to the concert after all and are all safe.' However he discovered the 19-year-old granddaughter of his father's friend lost her life in the fire. 'Her passion had been for Macedonian folk dancing and she was an active member of the neighbourhood's folkloric ensemble,' he said. Authorities have said they are investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the nightclub that was crammed with young revellers and at double capacity. 'Like in most places around the world, venues like this disco are fire traps,' Mr Nasev said. 'Entertainment venues such as discos, cafes, reception centres are the most profitable businesses in the region, particularly considering the limited means the local population has. 'The proprietors of such venues tend to have some clout over the local authorities, allowing for them to cut corners.' North Macedonia's government has ordered a three-day inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs across the country, starting on Monday. Mr Nasev said while he does not expect anyone to be prosecuted for the fire he hopes it will bring greater attention to fire safety in Macedonia. 'No one has been prosecuted for Grenfell, so why should we expect the same for Kocani?' he said. 'People in Kocani aren't expecting much will come out of this, though there is hope that this will bring greater attention to fire safety and the need for stricter implementation and controls on fire safety in Macedonia.' Interior minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people had been detained for questioning after a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper licence. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.
Los Angeles Times
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Fatal North Macedonia nightclub inferno leads to outrage, disbelief and calls for punishment
KOCANI, North Macedonia — As families gathered at a hospital for updates, Tomco Stojanov already knew his son's devastating fate: 25-year-old Andrej died trying to save others in a nightclub fire that left dozens dead in North Macedonia, including many trampled during a desperate bid to escape. 'Thank you for your condolences, but my pain is incurable. The wound is incurable,' Stojanov said, holding up a photograph of his son, clean-shaven and wearing a suit jacket. 'He died while returning and entering to save other people. And he was pushed, run over, that's how my son died.' North Macedonia is grappling with the loss of dozens of young lives in Sunday's nightclub inferno in the eastern town of Kocani, and trying to hold those responsible to account and prevent another calamity. Authorities were investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the fire in the nightclub, which was crammed with young revelers and at double capacity. Kocani's mayor resigned Monday over the emerging scandal. Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert, leaving 59 people dead and more than 150 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and trampling in the panicked rush toward the building's single exit. Videos showed sparking pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the club's ceiling and igniting the blaze as a band played. Bribes to authorities to skip licensing requirements and skirt safety regulations are commonplace in North Macedonia, practices that have caught the attention of Western governments. The European Union has repeatedly expressed concerns over pervasive corruption in the country, identifying it as a major obstacle to the country's accession to the bloc. Silent protests against corruption were held Monday in Kocani, joined by thousands of residents and separately by university students in Skopje. 'Justice is expected, that is what we all expect so that there are no such similar situations in the future,' Stavre Janev said at the Kocani protest. The protesters' anger boiled over, with some toppling a van and smashing windows of a storefront — both belonging to one of the club owners. The latest in a string of deadly nightclub fires around the world, Sunday's tragedy shook this nation of 2 million, where close-knit extended family bonds made the disaster personal to many. Clubgoers as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning. 'We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president,' North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said in an address to the nation Sunday night. North Macedonia's government ordered a sweeping three-day inspection at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting Monday. State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a preliminary inspection of the Club Pulse nightclub had revealed numerous safety code violations, including a lack of emergency exits, an insufficient number of fire extinguishers and improper access for emergency vehicles. The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. 'The omissions are significant. I can confidently say that this is a failure of the system,' the prosecutor told reporters, also noting the lack of an overhead extinguisher system and fire alarms, and the use of flammable materials to line the inside walls. Speaking to reporters in Skopje, Interior Minister Panche Toshevski said it appeared the club's owners paid bribes to former officials to issue a forged license and turn a blind eye to the venue operating far beyond capacity and in violation of fire code. Former economy minister Khreshnik Beteshi was being questioned at a police station in Skopje, his lawyer Elenko Milanov told reporters. The country was in mourning as people watched harrowing scenes in the town of 25,000 people, where rescuers for hours carried out the grim task of removing the charred bodies of clubgoers. A state coroner said the bodies were being brought for identification in batches from morgues due to the high number of people killed. Flags around the country have been lowered to half-staff, and the death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured in critical condition, Health Minister Arben Taravari said. Neighboring and nearby countries — Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey — along with a number of others have already accepted some 50 patients with the most serious injuries, while several countries are also sending medical teams to North Macedonia, officials said. 'All patients who have been transferred abroad are currently in stable condition. We hope it stays that way and that we will receive positive news from abroad,' Taravari said. Officials said 10 people remain in police custody for questioning in Kocani, some 72 miles east of the capital, Skopje. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski added that a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250. Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of the hospitalized Pope Francis. Late Sunday, Kocani's residents held a candlelight vigil in support of mourning families, waiting in long lines to light church candles. Beti Delovska, an economist from Skopje, said North Macedonia has never experienced a tragedy like this, with dozens of young people vanishing in minutes. She noted that many young people with bright futures had already left the nation, in search of opportunities elsewhere. North Macedonia 'is on its deathbed,' Delovska said. 'We have no more credible institutions, the health system is completely dismantled, education is poor, judiciary is partisan and corrupt to the bone,' she said. 'I do believe now that only God can save [North] Macedonia.' Testorides and Bajrami write for the Associated Press. Testorides reported from Skopje, North Macedonia .
