section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  The nightclub was situated in a building formerly used as a carpet warehouse. It was described as an "improvised nightclub" by local reporters and, according to authorities, did not have a legal license to operate, but had been doing so for several years before the fire. According to interior minister Panče Toškovski, the building was only certified for light industry and not for catering. One resident of Kočani, who had worked there 20 years prior when it housed a textile factory, expressed confusion that such a small building could fit 500 people, and said that it had "very low ceilings".
  
  An inspection after the fire revealed deficiencies in the building's fire-extinguishing and lighting systems. Additionally, only one effective exit was identified in the building, because the venue's back door was locked. Apart from being locked, the back door did not have a handle on the inside, was covered with drywall, and was lined with flammable soundproofing materials. The building was made of flammable drywall, had no fire alarms, and only a single fire extinguisher. The building did not have a trip switch.