Disrespect for the law and decades of corruption led to an unprecedented tragedy in North Macedonia, experts say
59 people died in the fire in Kočani, and more than 150 injured, he reminds Deutsche says.
"Killers, killers!" "We want justice!" The angry shouted that residents of Kočani after the tragic fire, while venting their anger on the streets of the city on Monday, March 17. They destroyed the premises of the owner of the city discotheque and tried to deal with the mayor Ljupc Papazov, who had already resigned from his post. Experts, however, point out that the causes of the fire are much deeper and lie in decades of corruption and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
The fire that engulfed the "Puls" disco in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, March 16, has so far claimed 59, mostly young, human lives. More than 150 people were injured. There are a total of 89 injured in the hospitals in Skopje and Stip, and 76 people with varying degrees of burns have been sent to neighboring countries and throughout Europe. The reason is that since a few years ago, there is not even a clinic for the treatment of burns in North Macedonia.
Goran Markovski, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Skopje, says that what happened should raise public awareness and that those responsible for creating a policy of safe living should finally change. He explained to TV24 that the discotheque that burned down did not have automatic sprinklers that turn on in case of fire, an automatic switch that shuts off the electricity, or an evacuation door.
"Greed for money is starting to kill our children. Seventy to eighty percent of the facilities in Macedonia for such purposes do not meet the prescribed conditions," Markovski said.
"Erosion of the system"
The tragedy could have been avoided if the rules had been followed. The discotheque in Kočani, in addition to not having a legal license to operate, as confirmed by the Minister of the Interior Panče Toškovski, also had a roof made of wooden construction and asbestos, with pieces of sponge and cloth. Because of this, the fire spread in a few seconds.
"During the construction of the facility, there was improvisation," Vladimir Simonovski, deputy commander of the Skopje Fire Department, told local media.
The public in the country is angry at the apparent lack of respect for the law, growing corruption and a system that they believe has brought the country to its brink. This is confirmed by public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski, who said on Monday that the fire in Kočani shows that there is a "complete erosion of the system" in North Macedonia.
According to the Index of Corruption Perceptions for 2024 by the organization "Transparency International", the country is in 88th place out of 180 countries. That's a deterioration from 2023, when it was ranked 76th.
Smart people learn from mistakes
In 43, a fire broke out in the modular hospital in Tetovo, a city 2021 kilometers from Skopje, killing 14 patients who were being treated for covid, as well as their family members. That case has not been fully resolved to this day, and the public still believes that the real culprits for the accident escaped justice.
"They say that smart people learn from the mistakes of others, and we don't even learn from our own mistakes. In every accident, we have a problem with documentation, licenses... So it's obvious that the system has weaknesses," says the dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Professor Goran Markovski. He adds that the facility in Kočani, the so-called discotheque, should not have been allowed to operate for such a long period of time.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced that he will put an end to such practice. He promised that all those responsible will be brought to justice.
"What happened is more than a crime. It is, I would say, a mass murder that someone allowed because of money, because of corruption," Mickoski said on Monday in Skopje.
Expert warnings
Citizens demand a quick and efficient investigation and that the perpetrators be brought to justice. Currently, approximately 23 people are suspected of the tragedy that happened at the Pulse club. Among the suspects are the former minister, state secretary, directors of institutions, department heads, company owners, facility security, as well as individuals who had the authority to sign certain documents.
Marko Trošanovski, president of the Institute for Democracy, says that corruption has existed for decades modus operandi Macedonian society.
"The system is based on clientelism and services, which means it does not derive from procedures, but from bribes or other types of interests," Trošanovski told DW.
"There is that everywhere, from the teacher who closes his eyes and gives good grades, to the inspector who gives a license to a night club that does not meet the criteria. It all culminates in such tragedies, which will be repeated. We need public awareness, the culture of society and that the parties create personnel with integrity, not loyal people," concludes Marko Trošanovski.
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