Latest news with #MarijaTaseva
Euronews
17-03-2025
- Euronews
Vatican releases photo of Pope Francis at Mass in hospital
Authorities detained 15 people after a massive fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub in eastern North Macedonia on Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring more than 150. The blaze broke out around 2:30 am during a concert by a local pop group at the club, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters. He said 39 of the dead had so far been identified. Authorities warn the death toll may rise further, as 20 of those injured remain in critical condition. The government has declared seven days of national mourning to honour the victims of the tragedy. The blaze in the eastern town of Kočani left primarily young people dead and injured due to burns, smoke inhalation and a stampede in the desperate effort to reach the building's single exit, officials said. People as young as 16 were among the casualties. 'We even tried to get out through the bathroom, only to find bars (on the windows),' said Marija Taseva, a 19-year-old survivor who suffered an injury to the face. "I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me. ... I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe," added Taseva. The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. Police cordoned off the site and sent in evidence-gathering teams in an operation also involving state prosecutors. Toshkovski said 15 people were 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. 'We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,' he told reporters without elaborating further. The fire is the worst tragedy in recent memory to befall the landlocked nation of around 1.8 million, and the latest in several large-scale deadly nightclub fires around the world in recent years. Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalised for a month for double pneumonia. The pontiff expressed his 'profound condolences' and assured his remembrance in prayer for those who lost their lives. He also 'invoked the lord's comfort for those suffering'. Pope Francis' words came in a telegram, signed by Secretary of State of the Hole See, Pietro Parolin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her condolences to the victims and their relatives. 'I grieve the tragic loss of life in the fire in Kočani'. 'The EU stands in solidarity with the people of North Macedonia in this difficult time,' she added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also sent messages of support. 'I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our Macedonian friends on this sad day,' Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. Health ministry officials said the government had accepted offers of assistance from several neighbouring countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, where preparations were being made to receive patients with life-threatening injuries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he's instructed the government to mobilise support and make available any needed resources to help 'make the tragedy smaller'. In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, three people with severe burns – two aged 25 and a 19-year-old – were being treated at a hospital, with one undergoing surgery, health authorities said. Their conditions are critical. On Sunday, relatives gathered in front of hospitals and city offices in Kočani – about 115 km east of the capital Skopje – begging authorities for more information. Resident Dragi Stojanov was informed that his 21-year-old son, Tomche, had died in the fire. 'He was my only child. I don't need my life anymore. 150 families have been devastated," he said. 'Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). And the bosses (of organised crime), are just putting money into their pockets.' North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited burn victims at a hospital in Skopje and spoke to parents waiting outside. 'It's terrible. Hard to believe how this happened,' she said, her voice halting with emotion. 'We must give these young people courage to continue.' Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said it had been 'the most difficult day of my life,' adding that the country must defeat corruption. 'I entered politics to change something. I encountered a deeply corrupt system that has been created and nurtured for decades, which includes people from all parties, from all profiles. If that system does not collapse, this country will never exist,' he said in a statement. North Macedonia's government ordered a sweeping inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country over the next three days. The Vatican released on Sunday the first photograph of Pope Francis in a month, showing the pontiff in a view from behind wearing a purple stole – typical of Lenten liturgical vestments – and sitting in a wheelchair before an altar at the hospital chapel. The Vatican said he was participating in the celebration of the Mass with other priests from the Gemelli hospital in Rome. This is the first mention the Vatican has made of the pontiff's participation in celebrating Mass since his 14 February hospitalisation. Pope Francis was rushed to hospital after a week-long bout with chronic bronchitis turned into double pneumonia. There was no obvious sign that he was receiving supplemental oxygen, mentioned in medical bulletins. Doctors this week announced that the pontiff was no longer in critical condition, but have continued to emphasise that his condition remained complex due to several factors. They cited Pope Francis' age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man, as potential reasons for concern, warranting constant monitoring. In an audio recording released last week, the pope spoke in a feeble and laboured voice as he thanked the faithful in St Peter's square for their prayers and recovery wishes. His condition has been on the rise lately, gradually improving over the last week, prompting the Vatican to suspend morning updates and issue less frequent medical bulletins. An X-ray this week confirmed that his respiratory infection was clearing. In the most recent bulletin on Saturday, doctors said they were working to reduce the pope's reliance on a non-invasive ventilation mask at night, in hopes of getting his lungs to work more. He was still continuing to receive high-flow supplemental oxygen, delivered by a nasal tube during the day. Dozens of tango dancers gathered at the Gemelli hospital in Rome to dance the tango for Pope Francis, where he is being treated for double pneumonia. The idea of dancing the tango in front of the hospital came from dancer Daiana Guspero, who brought together several tangueros to make the pontiff feel the 'energy of the tango'. 'I was lucky enough to meet him, to dance for him, to dance for the Pope,' she said, adding that when she met Pope Francis she asked him if she could give him a 'tango hug' to which he replied, 'How I would love to dance a tango with you.' Guspero thinks it's "wonderful" that the pope, being Argentinian, loves tango as much as the tangueros do. Francis did not appear from the 10th-floor suite of windows as he is still recovering from his complex lung condition. The next update won't be issued until mid-week, the Vatican said. In his speech at his centre-left PSOE party congress in Cantabria, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain must show solidarity with countries on Russia's borders, as Moscow continues to threaten democracy and rule-based order. "What is at stake is not simply a war or an invasion. There is something much more besides this, which would be important in itself, and that is that the multilateral order is at stake," Sánchez said at the closing event on Sunday, stressing that it is a system based on principles established in the United Nations Charter. The Spanish leader indicated that the aim is to achieve a "just and lasting" peace in Ukraine, where "peace is urgent, but not at the cost of rewarding the aggressor, which will open the door to future, even more serious aggressions." He was also blunt in declaring that "if Ukraine wants to be part of the European Union, Russia has to respect what Ukraine wants to be". Sánchez, however, acknowledged the different security realities faced by European countries, admitting that "defence in the east of Europe has nothing to do with the security challenges we have in Spain." Despite this, the president said that Spain would help those under threat. "We are not going to have a physical attack from Russia like some of the Baltic or Nordic countries, such as Finland, might have," Sánchez said. "They need our solidarity and they need and demand that together we increase our security capacity to dissuade Russia," he explained, reaffirming Spain's pro-European commitment both "out of interest" and "out of conviction".
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Who are the victims of the North Macedonia nightclub fire?
At least 59 people were killed and over 150 injured in a devastating fire at Club Pulse in Kocani, North Macedonia. Authorities have arrested 20 individuals as part of the investigation and are investigating safety violations and possible corruption linked to the tragedy. The identities of those killed in the fire are beginning to emerge, though local authorities are yet to issue an official list of the victims. The government is in the process of holding emergency meetings to determine what further action it needs to take. 'None of the responsible this time should avoid the law, the justice, and punishment too,' said president Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. 'Nothing is worthier than human life, specifically young life.' Marija Taseva, 19, was enjoying a night out with her sister at the club on Saturday when the fire broke out. "Everyone started screaming and shouting 'get out, get out!'" she told Reuters. While she managed to escape, her sister did not survive. "My sister died. I was saved and she wasn't." Many of the victims were young, including teenagers as young as 15. More than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were under 18, said interior minister Pance Toskovski. Among those who died was Stefania Aleksova, a student at the American University in Bulgaria. "We deeply mourn with our North Macedonian friends for this tragedy that has shaken us all," university president Dr Margie Ensin said in a statement, reported Bulgaria's Dragi Stojanov, who lost his only child – 21-year-old Tomche – said he was searching for answers. "Let me tell you in front of everybody. Film me. I am a dead man, I lost everything… the whole of Europe should know," he told reporters. "After this tragedy, what do I need this life for? I don't need it. I had one child and I lost him." Turkey's ambassador to Skopje Fatih Ulusoy confirmed that a Turkish citizen was among the wounded and that officials would visit them later in the evening, reported Turkish outlet Yeni Safak . Survivors sustained severe burns and inhalation injuries. Dr Vladislav Gruev, a reconstructive and plastic surgery specialist, reported that most patients suffered second- and third-degree burns on their head, neck, upper torso, and hands. Several countries have stepped in to assist with medical evacuations. Bulgaria has transported 14 critically injured victims for treatment. Eight of them, including three teenagers, are in intensive care at Sofia's Pirogov Hospital, where doctors have issued urgent blood donation appeals. The patients include three minors, two girls and one boy, aged 15 and 16. The oldest patient is 31-year-old man, reported All eight are in critical condition in an intensive care unit, with three patients intubated. Another three victims, two boys and one girl, are receiving care in Varna where they have been intubated and placed in intensive care. Three others are being treated in Plovdiv. Turkey has also provided medical support. The Turkish health ministry sent two medical evacuation planes, transporting nine victims for specialist treatment in Istanbul and Ankara. "This is a great tragedy for North Macedonia, and we share their pain," said Fatih Ulusoy, Türkiye's ambassador to Skopje. Authorities have arrested around 20 individuals as part of the investigation in the fire. Mr Toskovski suggested potential bribery and corruption linked to the club's illegal operations. Inspections revealed multiple safety violations, including faulty fire-extinguishing systems and inadequate emergency lighting, he said. Speaking outside the hospital, Red Cross volunteer Mustafa Saidov described the devastation. "The situation is brutal, chaotic. The stories are very sad, and unfortunately many young lives are lost."
BBC News
17-03-2025
- BBC News
'I get one child and I lose am' - North Macedonia mourn nightclub disaster wey kill ova 50 pipo
Marija Taseva bin dey enjoy a night out with her sister for di Pulse club for Kocani, North Macedonia, on Saturday wen disaster strike. Dem bin dey watch DNK, one popular hip-hop group for di kontri, wen fire break out, wey kill at least 59 pipo and injure 155 odas. "Everybody start to dey scream and shout 'get out, get out!'" di 19-year-old tell Reuters. Pipo try hard to escape di flames but na only one exit dey for around 500 pipo, as di only oda door for di back of di venue bin dey locked. "I no know how but I end up for ground, I no fit get up and at dat moment, pipo start to dey match me," Ms Taseva tok. She eventually manage to get to safety, but her sister no fit. "My sister die. I safe and she no safe." Police don detain 15 pipo, with Interior Minister Pance Toskovski wey say grounds dey "for suspicion say bribery and corruption" dey linked to di fire. Many don dey pay respects to di young victims Di fire start around 02:30 local time (01:30 GMT) on Sunday wen sparks from pyrotechnic devices hit di ceiling, wey bin dey made of highly flammable material, Toskovski tok. Di local press describe di club as "improvised nightclub", di venue dey town around 100km (60 miles) east of di capital, Skopje and e no get a legal licence to operate, Toskovski tok. E be carpet warehouse before, and police dey investigate. "Most of di dead suffer injuries from di stampede wey happun during panic while trying to exit," di head of di Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, tell reporters. "Seventy of di patients get burns and carbon monoxide poisoning," she tok, according to AFP news agency. Vladislav Gruev, wey be specialist in reconstructive and plastic surgery for di University Clinic for Surgical Diseases, dey treat survivors. "Most of dem get serious burn injuries, above 18% surface body area, second and third degree burns for head, neck, upper torso, and upper limbs - hands and fingers," e tok. 'Many young lives dey lost' Inspections on Sunday show several "abnormalities" for di venue, including "deficiencies" for di fire-extinguishing and lighting system, public prosecutor office spokesman Biljana Arsovska tok. Speaking outside di hospital, Red Cross volunteer Mustafa Saidov say di majority of those wey die be young pipo. "Inside wia dem dey identify di victims, di situation dey far worse. You see say di parents also be young pipo, in dia 40s. Dia children be 18 or 20 years old." "Di situation dey brutal, chaotic, di stories dey very sad, and unfortunately many young lives dey lost." One man, wey im nephew injured for di fire, say some pipo never fot locate dia children. Victims families dey wait for news of dia loved ones outside of di hospital. Many dey vex and dey search for answers, like Dragi Stojanov, wey lose im only child for di fire. "Make I tell you in front of everybody. Film me. I be dead man, I lost everything… di whole of Europe suppose know," e tell reporters. "After dis tragedy, wetin I need dis life for? I no need am. "I get one child and I lose am." North Macedonia President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova say dey need to be accountability for wetin happen. "None of those wey responsible dis time suppose avoid di law, di justice and punishment too," she tok. "Nothing dey worthier dan human life, specifically young life." Dem carri di most seriously injured for treatment for specialist clinics for Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, she add. Government don declare seven days of national mourning, and e go hold an emergency session as part of ongoing investigations into how di incident happen.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- The Independent
Who are the victims of the North Macedonia nightclub fire?
At least 59 people were killed and over 150 injured in a devastating fire at Club Pulse in Kocani, North Macedonia. Authorities have arrested 20 individuals as part of the investigation and are investigating safety violations and possible corruption linked to the tragedy. The identities of those killed in the fire are beginning to emerge, though local authorities are yet to issue an official list of the victims. The government is in the process of holding emergency meetings to determine what further action it needs to take. 'None of the responsible this time should avoid the law, the justice, and punishment too,' said president Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. 'Nothing is worthier than human life, specifically young life.' Marija Taseva, 19, was enjoying a night out with her sister at the club on Saturday when the fire broke out. "Everyone started screaming and shouting 'get out, get out!'" she told Reuters. While she managed to escape, her sister did not survive. "My sister died. I was saved and she wasn't." Many of the victims were young, including teenagers as young as 15. More than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were under 18, said interior minister Pance Toskovski. Among those who died was Stefania Aleksova, a student at the American University in Bulgaria. "We deeply mourn with our North Macedonian friends for this tragedy that has shaken us all," university president Dr Margie Ensin said in a statement, reported Bulgaria's Dragi Stojanov, who lost his only child – 21-year-old Tomche – said he was searching for answers. "Let me tell you in front of everybody. Film me. I am a dead man, I lost everything… the whole of Europe should know," he told reporters. "After this tragedy, what do I need this life for? I don't need it. I had one child and I lost him." Turkey's ambassador to Skopje Fatih Ulusoy confirmed that a Turkish citizen was among the wounded and that officials would visit them later in the evening, reported Turkish outlet Yeni Safak . Survivors sustained severe burns and inhalation injuries. Dr Vladislav Gruev, a reconstructive and plastic surgery specialist, reported that most patients suffered second- and third-degree burns on their head, neck, upper torso, and hands. Several countries have stepped in to assist with medical evacuations. Bulgaria has transported 14 critically injured victims for treatment. Eight of them, including three teenagers, are in intensive care at Sofia's Pirogov Hospital, where doctors have issued urgent blood donation appeals. The patients include three minors, two girls and one boy, aged 15 and 16. The oldest patient is 31-year-old man, reported All eight are in critical condition in an intensive care unit, with three patients intubated. Another three victims, two boys and one girl, are receiving care in Varna where they have been intubated and placed in intensive care. Three others are being treated in Plovdiv. Turkey has also provided medical support. The Turkish health ministry sent two medical evacuation planes, transporting nine victims for specialist treatment in Istanbul and Ankara. "This is a great tragedy for North Macedonia, and we share their pain," said Fatih Ulusoy, Türkiye's ambassador to Skopje. Authorities have arrested 15 individuals as part of the investigation in the fire. Mr Toskovski suggested potential bribery and corruption linked to the club's illegal operations. Inspections revealed multiple safety violations, including faulty fire-extinguishing systems and inadequate emergency lighting, he said. Speaking outside the hospital, Red Cross volunteer Mustafa Saidov described the devastation. "The situation is brutal, chaotic. The stories are very sad, and unfortunately many young lives are lost."
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Fire rips through overcrowded nightclub in North Macedonia, leaving dozens dead in panicked escape
KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) — A massive fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub in North Macedonia on Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring 155 in a chaotic escape during a live concert. The tragedy focused national attention on corruption in the small Balkan country as authorities detained 15 people. The death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured remain in critical condition, according to Health Minister Arben Taravari. The government has declared seven days of national mourning. The pre-dawn blaze in the eastern town of Kocani left mostly young people dead and injured due to burns, smoke inhalation and a stampede in the desperate effort to reach the building's single exit, officials said. People as young as 16 were among the casualties, they said. Videos showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the ceiling followed by scenes of chaos inside the club, with young people running through the smoke as the musicians urged them to escape as quickly as possible. 'We even tried to get out through the bathroom, only to find bars (on the windows),' Marija Taseva, 19, told The Associated Press, describing the fire that erupted after watching a local pop group at Club Pulse. "I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me. ... I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe.' She suffered an injury to her face. The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. Police cordoned off the site and sent in evidence gathering teams in an operation also involving state prosecutors. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people were detained for questioning after 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. 'We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case,' he told reporters without elaborating. Neighbors offer condolences and assistance The fire is the worst tragedy in recent memory to befall the landlocked nation, whose population is less than 2 million, and the latest in a slew of deadly nightclub fires around the world. Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for a month for double pneumonia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also sent messages of support. 'I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. Ukraine mourns alongside our (North) Macedonian friends on this sad day,' Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. Health Ministry officials said the government had accepted offers of assistance from several neighboring countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, where preparations were being made to receive patients with life-threatening injuries. In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, three people with severe burns aged 25, 25 and 19 were being treated at a civilian hospital, with one undergoing surgery, health authorities said. Their conditions are critical. 'The most difficult day of my life' - PM Throughout Sunday, relatives gathered in front of hospitals and city offices in Kocani, some 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of the capital, Skopje, begging authorities for more information. Resident Dragi Stojanov was informed that his 21-year-old son Tomce had died in the fire. 'He was my only child. I don't need my life anymore. ... 150 families have been devastated," he said. 'Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). ... And the bosses (of organized crime), just putting money into their pockets.' President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited burn victims at a hospital in Skopje and spoke to parents waiting outside. 'It's terrible ... hard to believe how this happened,' she said, her voice halting with emotion. 'We must give these young people courage to continue.' Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said late Sunday it had been 'the most difficult day of my life,' adding that the country must defeat corruption. 'I entered politics to change something. I encountered a deeply corrupt system that has been created and nurtured for decades, which includes people from all parties, from all profiles. If that system does not collapse, this country will never exist,' he said in a statement. North Macedonia's government ordered a sweeping inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country over the next three days. Pyrotechnics have often been the cause of deadly fires in nightclubs, including the one at the Colectiv club in Bucharest, Romania, in 2015 in which 64 people died. ___ Associated Press writers from across Europe contributed to this report.
