An Australian lawyer who lost her cousin in a deadly nightclub fire in North Macedonia says grief has turned into anger at local authorities after it was discovered the venue appears to be unlicensed.
Petra Zlatevska told the ABC her cousin, Sara Projkovska, was performing on stage at Club Pulse, in the eastern North Macedonian town of Kocani, when the inferno engulfed the building and killed at least 59 people and injured 150 more.
On-stage pyrotechnics have been blamed for igniting the blaze, which forced hundreds of young people to scramble for the venue’s only exit and set off a stampede.
The nightclub was in a former carpet warehouse and was not properly licensed. (AP Photo: Armin Durgut)
Ms Zlatevska said Projkovska, who was performing as the lead female vocalist in the hip hop band DNK, died doing what she loved.
“Sara was one of these infectious people who, even as a child, was always musically talented and just a born performer,” Ms Zlatevska told the ABC.
“It all feels very surreal that she’s gone, she was so passionate about life and just a beautiful soul.“
Ms Zlatevska said her cousin, who was performing as the lead female vocalist in the hip hop band DNK, died doing what she loved. (Supplied: Petra Zlatevska)
The 48-year-old was a mother of two teenage children.
Ms Zlatveska said Projkovska was a well-respected musician and music professor who had performed on stages across the world, including at the Eurovision Song Contest.
“Sara was so impactful in the music world of Europe, she was highly sought after with every major recording artist in the Balkans, not just Macedonia,” Ms Zlatveska said.
“She traversed different musical genres, she set up a jazz quartet, she performed with a hip hop collective, she was a person passionate about collaboration and supporting others to be their best.”
Protesters try to approach the house of the mayor of Kočani, following the deadly fire at the Pulse nightclub. (Reuters: Alexandros Avramidis)
Fury at ‘incompetence’ of authorities
Angry protests broke out in the city of Kočani as thousands of people called for officials to resign over the fatalities.
So far, 20 people have been arrested in connection with the blaze, including the nightclub’s manager, after the former carpet warehouse was found to be operating with an illegal licence.
Furious protesters also gathered near the home of the owner of the nightclub. (AP Photo: Visar Kryeziu)
It had just one emergency exit, which was locked during the concert, no fire alarms or sprinkler systems and just two fire extinguishers, according to government authorities.
Teenagers as young as 16 suffered severe burns and were taken to hospitals in neighbouring countries including Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye and Romania.
Ms Zlatveska said her family in Australia and in North Macedonia feel a sense of anger over the “systemic incompetence”.
“It all feels very, very wrong, given the negligence of the venue being able to operate with an illegal licence,” she said.
“The wave of grief has been turned into anger and deep-seated frustration at local authorities.”
North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said there were grounds for suspicion of bribery and corruption because the venue was an industrial building that had been issued a hospitality license.
“This is the culmination of a bad, neglected system,” Mr Mickoski said.
“There is no person in Macedonia who is not broken with a destroyed sense of spirit after this.”
The North Macedonian government has declared 7 days of national mourning to honour the victims of the tragedy.
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