Marija Taseva was enjoying a night out with her sister at the Pulse club in Kocani, North Macedonia, on Saturday when disaster struck. They were watching DNK, a popular hip-hop duo in the country, when a fire broke out, which killed at least 59 people and injured 155 others. People desperately tried to escape the flames but there was only one exit for around 500 people, as the only other door at the back of the venue was locked. Ms Taseva managed to escape but her sister did not, and Ms Taseva’s emotional testimony was captured by Reuters. The venue, which was not licensed to operate, had previously been a carpet warehouse, and police are investigating whether bribery and corruption played a role in the fire. Krist Marina Serafimovska, the head of Kocani hospital, stated that 70 of the patients have burn injuries and carbon monoxide poisoning. Vladislav Gruev, a specialist in reconstructive and plastic surgery at the University Clinic for Surgical Diseases, has also been treating survivors. A total of seven suspects, including officials from the ministry that issued the venue’s operational permit, have been arrested in connection with the fire.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2d48rl1rplo