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What happened, where and when?
On 16 March 2025, around 3:00 a.m., a devastating re broke out at the “Pulse” nightclub in Kočani, a small town in eastern North Macedonia, during a live concert. The nightclub, which had reportedly been operating without proper licensing and was formerly a carpet warehouse, was packed beyond its safe capacity with young attendees, most between the ages of 14 and 25. According to investigations, the re began when pyrotechnic eects used during the performance ignited ammable material on the ceiling. The ames spread rapidly and thick toxic smoke quickly lled the venue. Panic erupted as attendees scrambled to escape, but with limited and inadequate emergency exits, some of which were reportedly locked or blocked, many were trapped inside. Emergency services struggled to reach the scene due to narrow surrounding streets and nearby hospitals in Kočani, Štip, and Skopje were overwhelmed with casualties. The tragic incident resulted in at least 63 conrmed deaths and over 200 people injured, many suering from severe burns and smoke inhalation. The disaster exposed severe lapses in re safety enforcement, emergency preparedness and nightclub regulations in the country, prompting national mourning and a government investigation into those responsible.