Six of the 59 victims of a fire in a disco in North Macedonia on Sunday were under 18 years old, the prosecutor's office announced today, quoted by local media, BTA reported.
Three of the victims were 16 years old, three - 17 years old, and another 25 victims were between the ages of 18 and 25, the prosecutor's office said in a statement to the media, quoted by the publication Lider.
A fire at the "Pulse" disco in the town of Kocani, 80 km east of the capital Skopje, on Sunday killed 59 young people and injured 155. The fire during a concert by a popular band was caused by sparks from pyrotechnics used for lighting effects, according to initial investigation data. Officials said the discotheque's license was obtained illegally. The venue had only one emergency exit, which was locked during the concert. There were only two fire extinguishers and no fire alarm or sprinkler system.
Today, victims of the tragedy are being buried in North Macedonia. Thousands of mourners gathered at cemeteries in several towns in North Macedonia today for the funerals of dozens of people who died in a nightclub fire - the worst disaster in the Balkan country in decades, local media and world agencies reported.
Crowds of people dressed in black and holding candles and flowers flocked to the cemetery in Kocani, where at least 30 new graves were dug this week, Reuters reported. At the base of each grave, the victim's name was written on a sheet of white paper taped to a thin wooden stick. Priests read prayers over the coffins as they were laid in the graves.
In the capital Skopje, 80 km west of Kocani, about 1,000 people, including prominent musicians, attended the funeral of Andrey Gjorgieski (43) - vocalist and co-founder of the band “DNA“, at the city cemetery “Butel“, while another member of the band and professor at the Skopje Faculty of Music - Sara Projkovska, was buried at the cemetery “Lisice“, MIA reports.