(Reuters) – Thirteen people including a former government minister were remanded in custody for 30 days in North Macedonia on Friday over a nightclub blaze, believed to have been caused by pyrotechnics, that killed 59 people including six minors.
The incident, in which another 197 people were injured, has shattered Kocani, a town of 25,000 people east of the capital Skopje.
Authorities have said the club’s licence was obtained illegally, and that the venue lacked fire extinguishers and emergency exits and was made of flammable materials.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a total of 24 suspects were being held and three were still in hospital after the fire, which he said had been caused by a “chain of omissions and illegal actions by officials”.
The suspects include officials responsible for the operating licences, the club owner, a member of a band that played in the club, police officers, and security guards who let in minors and pyrotechnics, he said.
Authorities have been inspecting nightclubs and cafes around the country this week for safety violations.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
