section_path: Abstract
section_name: Abstract
paragraph_text: On 16 March 2025, a fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia, killed 62 people and injured 193. The fire started when sparks from indoor fireworks hit the ceiling and set it alight, rapidly enveloping the venue in thick and toxic smoke. The nightclub was unlicensed and broke numerous safety standards: among other things, it lacked sprinklers, sufficient emergency exits, and only had a single fire extinguisher. Rescue efforts were hampered by the nightclub's location in a densely populated neighborhood, which caused firetrucks difficulty in reaching it.
  
  Local hospitals were severely ill-equipped to deal with the influx of victims, with some left lying in the street due to a insufficient number of ambulances. Many of them suffered severe burns, smoke inhalation, and crush injuries after the crowd rushed for the exits. In response to the fire, the European Union (EU) activated its Civil Defense Mechanism to coordinate the air evacuation of victims, many of whom were transported for treatment in EU member states.
  
  As of March 2025, it is the deadliest nightclub fire in Europe since the 2015 Bucharest nightclub fire and the deadliest fire in North Macedonia 's history. The government ordered a three-day inspection of all nightclubs and cabarets in the country and many entertainment venues were shut down. Government officials, including several ministers and police officers, were arrested as part of the investigation into how the nightclub was given a license. Vigils and tributes were organised nationwide. In the aftermath of the disaster there were numerous anti-corruption protests.