CNN —
At least 51 people have died and more than 100 have been injured in a nightclub fire in the town of Kochani, North Macedonia, the country’s interior minister said.
The minister, Panche Toshkovski, announced the casualties at a press conference on Sunday morning, MIA, North Macedonia’s state-run news agency reported.
More than 80 of those injured in the tragedy were taken to hospitals and clinics in Skopje, the country’s capital city, MIA reported, as the country’s Justice Minister, Igor Filkov, said that all those involved in the tragedy will be held responsible.
The blaze broke out at Kochani’s ‘Pulse’ nightclub, local media reported. Video from inside the venue shows a band performing as pyrotechnic devices shoot out sparks at the front of the stage. As the sparks reach the ceiling, they slowly set it on fire.
Police detained the owner of the nightclub on Sunday morning, MIA reported.
North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said it was a “difficult and very sad day.”
“The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, while the pain of our families, our close ones and our friends is immeasurable,” he wrote on X.
DNK, a Macedonian musical duo, were performing at the club on Saturday night, according to the band’s Instagram account.
Leaders from across Europe have taken to social media to express their condolences for the disaster, including the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.
Angela Aggeler, the US ambassador to North Macedonia, also posted about the incident on X, writing Sunday that her “heart breaks” for the victims of the tragedy and offering the US embassy’s assistance and resources.
This story has been updated with additional information.