Closing summary
Arrest warrants have been issued for four people in connection with the nightclub fire in North Macedonia that killed at least 59 people and injured about 155 others.
Officials estimate that 18 of the injured people are in critical condition. Some of the more serious cases are to be taken to hospitals in other European countries.
Children are reported to be among the injured.
The interior minister said police had arrested one man in connection with the fire, but did not provide details about his involvement.
The blaze began at around 02.35am (01.35 GMT) on Sunday morning during a concert at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, a town around 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, Skopje.
Initial reports suggest as many as 1,500 people – mostly young - attended the concert by DNK, a hip-hop duo popular in the country.
The interior minister said some of the young clubgoers used pyrotechnics devices that caused the roof to catch fire. As they were set off, “the sparks caught the ceiling, which was made of easily flammable material, after which the fire rapidly spread across the whole discotheque, creating thick smoke,” Pance Toskovski said.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickosk expressed “deep sadness” about the “tragedy” of the nightclub fire, saying the loss of so many young lives is “irreparable”.
The North Macedonian government is reportedly set to declare seven days of national mourning. It has also said it will step up inspections of nightclubs and other similar venues to ensure that they comply with internationally regulated safety standards.
You can read more about the nightclub fire in this report by my colleague Helena Smith. We are now closing this blog. Thanks for following along.
Updated
North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova visited victims at a hospital in the capital Skopje and spoke to parents waiting outside.
“It’s terrible … hard to believe how this happened,” she was quoted as saying. “We must give these young people courage to continue.”
Officials said earlier that 155 injured people had been taken to hospitals across the country, 18 of them in critical condition. Some of the more serious cases were to be taken to hospitals in other European countries.
Updated
