Trial underway for dozens charged in deadly Macedonia nightclub fire · News ⟋ RA

A trial is underway in North Macedonia over a March fire at Kocani’s Club Pulse, which killed 63 people and left hundreds more with injuries.

Per BBC, 35 people—including Club Pulse’s owner—and three companies have been charged in the incident. Prosecutors argue that years of oversight and neglect led to the tragedy, alleging that licences for the club were issued unlawfully and inspections were skipped. A judge estimated that the trial could last anywhere between five months and five years.

The fire, which broke out on March 16th around 2:30 AM, was the result of errant sparks from pyrotechnics, and is now the deadliest blaze in Macedonian history. At the time, the venue was reportedly at more than twice its 250-person capacity. The fire triggered a stampede, which caused many in the crowd to be trampled or trapped by blocked exits. The majority of victims were between 16 and 20 years old.

Ahead of the trial, thousands of protestors rallied in the North Macedonian capitol of Skopje on November 16th. Many of the protestors were family members of those killed, including Natalija Gjorgjieska, who lost her husband, Andrej Gjorgjieski.

“We demand the truth,” she told Al Jazeera. “Where did the mistakes occur, who didn’t respond, which institutions were late, who had the responsibility to prevent [them] and did not?”

We’ll continue reporting on this story as it unfolds.