Today, the funeral of the victims in Kočani

The funeral will be held in Štip at 11 a.m., in Kočani at 12 p.m., and in Obleševo ​​at 1 p.m. The remaining funerals will also be held at various times today.

The Government of Macedonia, in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and in consultation with the Association of Macedonian Journalists (AJM), as well as the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), developed a security protocol when reporting on the funeral of the victims of the tragic event that took place on March 16 in Kočani. For media representatives reporting on the event, police officers will provide a special zone along the route of the procession, 300 meters from the entrance to the chapel at the city cemetery in Kočani.

This area will be secured by members of the MIA in order to guarantee order and security in the designated area. The ban on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will also apply in this zone.

This media protocol aims to protect the privacy of the victims' families, while at the same time allowing journalists and cameramen to safely cover the event from an appropriate distance.

The authorities appeal to the media to report with empathy, with respect for the pain of the families, to avoid sensationalism, and to publish verified information.

Citizens are asked to behave sensibly and send off the victims of the tragedy in Kočani with dignity. The Minister of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, Panče Toškovski, appealed to all the media to refrain from broadcasting moving scenes from the funerals of those killed in the fire at the Puls night club in Kočani.

Toškovski said that respecting the call of the families of the tragic victims is the most humane decision that can be made in such moments. In the fire that broke out at dawn on Sunday, 59 people died, and almost 200 people were injured, almost half of whom are being treated abroad.

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