The whole country is in mourning; Injured in serious condition: 12 more transported to Belgrade

The fire broke out due to the use of pyrotechnics, more than 20 people have been questioned so far, and the prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for 11 of them.

Another 12 injured were transferred to Belgrade for treatment

Another 12 injured in the fire in Kočani were transferred to Belgrade for treatment tonight, Macedonian Kurir reports.

Four of them will be hospitalized at the VMA, and eight at the University Clinical Center, Dr Igor Nikolov, the contact person for all information regarding the condition of patients abroad, confirmed to the Macedonian MUP.

A total of 29 patients have been transferred to Serbia so far. Two of the injured are going to Vienna for treatment, and three to Athens.

Meanwhile, 10 people were hospitalized at the Toxicology Clinic in Skopje due to carbon monoxide inhalation. All patients who were being treated in Kočani were transferred to Skopje. Three more people were admitted for observation due to inhalation of harmful gases.

The former minister Bekteşi brought in handcuffs for questioning, among others; They falsified the working license of the night club

The former Minister of Economy, Krešnik Bekteşi, was brought to the court in Kočani, which should decide whether to order him into custody.

Shutterstock/Wirestock Creators

They escorted him out of Skopje in handcuffs.

Bekteşi is one of the 14 arrested for the tragedy in Kočani, as the person who managed the institution that issued the license for the death night club.

He did not answer the question whether he felt responsible or how he would defend himself.

Bekteşi was at the head of the ministry whose employees falsified the license for the death night club, which Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski revealed yesterday.

All 14 people arrested for the fire arrived for questioning at the prosecutor's office in Kočani, local TV station Kanal 5 reported.

Chief State Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said that hearings are ongoing and that a decision on detention will follow.

"A total of 14 people have been identified so far. I can say that all relevant evidence and facts from the accident site have been secured and that further analysis and forensic expertise are being carried out," said Kocevski, adding that there is a possibility that an investigative procedure will be conducted this week.

Revolt of citizens in North Macedonia

Citizens demolished a cafe in Kočani; Part of the crowd headed towards the house of the resigned mayor

The revolted citizens of Kočani first gathered today for a peaceful protest, because of the catastrophic fire in the Pulse night club, in which 59 mostly young people died, while more than 150 were injured, but that gathering quickly turned into a destructive one.

Deputy head of VMA Leković: The condition of patients from North Macedonia is difficult

The deputy head of the Military Medical Academy VMA, Ivan Leković, said today that six patients were transported to that health facility, and that one patient was treated at the Nis Military Hospital, after the fire in Kočani in North Macedonia, and he pointed out that all of them are in a serious condition.

In the statement of the Ministry of Defense, it is stated that the patients were transported in three ambulances and by a transport plane of the Serbian Army, and that one patient was transported to the Military Hospital in Nis by a military ambulance.

All patients admitted to the Military Medical Academy are younger, born in the period from 1998 to 2007, and they are in the intensive care unit, while their condition is difficult and serious.

"We are taking all measures of intensive treatment and have used all our resources to help those people and to help the people of North Macedonia," said Leković.

Speaking about the process of treating the injured, he indicated that all patients are in a very serious condition.

"Apart from the burns that everyone has, patients also have signs and symptoms of gas poisoning from the fire, as well as inhalation injuries, i.e. damage to the respiratory organs and lungs from hot air and substances that were in the fire. The treatment is long-term, requires numerous operations, the involvement of numerous other specialists - pulmonologists, cardiologists, neurologists, plastic surgeons," said Leković.

He added that all operations are performed in several acts and that certain incisions will have to be made, the removal of those damaged areas and the covering of those areas with different types of flap grafts.

"All this requires time and a lot of effort," said Colonel Lekovic, adding that the patient who was admitted to the Nis Military Hospital underwent surgery and is also in a serious condition.

"When it comes to the future evacuation of patients, Leković pointed out that our military transport plane will land in Skopje, where it will pick up 12 new patients and that after triage and assessment of their condition, they will be assigned to the Military Medical Academy and the Clinical Center of Serbia, respectively", the statement said.