Grief, anger in North Macedonia as thousands mourn nightclub fire victims

Students lay flowers during a memorial ceremony for the nightclub fire victims at the university of Skopje in North Macedonia [Armend Nimani/AFP]

North Macedonia has lowered flags to half-staff as thousands of people have gathered at memorials to mourn the 59 people killed in a nightclub blaze over the weekend.

The fire broke out during a concert by a hip-hop duo called DNK at the Pulse club in the town of Kocani about 3am (02:00 GMT) on Sunday when sparks from flares set the ceiling alight. About 155 people were also injured, triggering an outpouring of grief in the small Balkan country.