North Macedonia has flown flags at half mast for the victims of a night spot blaze that killed dozens. More than 20 people are under investigation over the incident.

The North Macedonian Interior Ministry on Monday said more than 20 people faced investigation after a fire that swept through a nightclub, killing dozens.

At least 59 people died as a result of the blaze that started when stage pyrotechnics set fire to a patch of ceiling at a club that prosecutors say was in breach of several fire regulations.

What is being investigated?

State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a preliminary inspection of the nightclub in the northern town of Kocani had revealed a succession of safety code violations.

“It did not have two exit doors, but only one single improvised metal door at the back of the building, which was locked and without a handle on the inside,” Kocevski said.

There was said to be an insufficient number of fire extinguishers and insufficient emergency vehicle access.

The blaze caused the roof of the single-story building, a former carpet warehouse, to partially collapse.

“The omissions are significant. I can confidently say that this is a failure of the system,” the prosecutor told reporters. He also highlighted the lack of an overhead extinguisher system and fire alarms as well as the use of flammable materials to line the inside walls.

Who is being investigated?

Authorities have arrested 20 people over the fire, including government officials and the manager of the nightclub. About 15 were said to be in custody, with the rest receiving medical treatment.

Kocevski said his office was seeking to determine the criminal liability of individuals for “serious offenses against public security” and other crimes.

“The individuals acted contrary to the regulations and technical rules of the protection measures and thereby caused a danger to the life and work of people on a large scale,” he said.

What we know about the incident

Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert where a crowd of young fans had gathered to see a popular hip-hop duo called DNK.

Onstage fountain pyrotechnics hit the club’s ceiling and ignited the blaze as the band played.

Many of those who died were killed as a result of smoke inhalation and being trampled as they tried to escape through the building’s single exit.

One of DNK’s singers, Andrej Gjorgjieski, was among those killed and the other, Vladimir Blazev, was injured. A guitarist, a drummer and a back-up singer also died.

Nearby countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey were among those that accepted some 50 patients with the most serious injuries. Several countries have also sent medical teams to North Macedonia.

How has the North Macedonia reacted?

The country’s government has announced a seven-day mourning period as well as a full investigation into the circumstances.

“Let us unite our forces, let us not allow anyone else to sacrifice standards for profit, nothing is more valuable than the lives of young people,” North Macedonia’s President Gordana Siljanovska said.

Hundreds gathered at a university in the capital, Skopje, for a student-led memorial ceremony, where mourners paused for several minutes of silence, laying flowers and lighting candles at a makeshift shrine.

Flags around the country were lowered to half-staff.

Health Minister Arben Taravari said the death toll could rise further, with 20 of more than 150 injured in critical condition.

What people told DW

Speaking to DW, one local said the disaster was symptomatic of a breakdown of the systems that should keep people safe.

“The system is [at] fault,” he said. “Here is nothing as it should be. Nothing works. Neither the prosecutor’s office, nor the police, nor the inspections – nothing. Everything is broken, everything is degraded.”

Resident Nadica Angelovska, who has two cousins being treated in hospital, said the constant flow of news about what had happened to people was overwhelming.

“I think I’m just doing it on autopilot… because every other phone call is another information about a different person that we know, a different person that is taken from one hospital to another hospital, so it’s not a good feeling at all,” Angelovska said.

She added that the investigation should look at all institutions responsible for safety lapses. Angelovska also stressed that the probe should address the building’s change of use from a warehouse to a club in 2012.