59 Dead In Concert Pyrotechnics Fire At North Macedonia Nightclub

A fire during a nightclub show in Kocani, North Macedonia killed 59 people early Sunday morning, the AP reports. Video footage shows sparklers from the stage hitting the ceiling, resulting a blaze that caused a portion of the one-story club’s roof to collapse.

Currently, 20 people are in critical condition, with over 100 more people hospitalized from injuries due to burns, smoke inhalation, and the chaotic stampede of club attendees trying to escape. Many of the victims are minors.

A preliminary inspection revealed the that venue, Club Pulse, was operating without a proper license, and that the number of attendees that night was at least double its 250 capacity when the fire broke out. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people were detained for questioning, telling reporters: “We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case.” He didn’t elaborate further than that.

Pyrotechnic errors are nothing new: In 2003, a pyrotechnic display during Great White’s concert at the Station in West Warwick, RI killed 100 people including their own guitarist, the deadliest such tragedy in American history. But there have been many more recent examples of this type of accident.

Last summer, pyrotechnics during Odesza’s show at Los Angeles’ Gorge Amphitheatre caused a small brushfire that was quickly extinguished. Lil Durk suffered an injury when a firework hit him in the face during his Lollapalooza 2022 set. Last weekend Disturbed’s concert pyrotechnics caused damage to banners at Chicago’s United Center, but thankfully no one was injured. And this past Friday (March 14) Journey’s concert at the Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo was halted due to a stage fire; the venue later called it an “unforeseen electrical incident under the stage area.”

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