After a nightclub fire in North Macedonia kills 59 people, 15 are being held.

At least 59 people were murdered in a fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia, according to officials, and 15 people have been arrested by police.

Around 500 people had gathered at the Pulse club in Kocani for a performance by DNK, a well-known hip-hop duo in the nation, when the fire started at 2:30 local time (01:30 GMT) on Sunday.

According to a public prosecutors office spokesperson who talked to the BBC's Newshour, only one band member made it out alive and was receiving medical attention in the hospital. At the concert, 155 people were hurt in total.

The inmates will be questioned, according to Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, who also stated that there are "grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption" connected to the incident.

According to him, the location lacked a valid operating license.

The location, which was formerly a carpet warehouse, is in a town some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Skopje, the capital. The local press has referred to it as a "improvised nightclub."

Since the back door of the venue was closed and unusable, Ms. Arsovska stated that there had only been "one efficient exit" in the building.

Several "abnormalities" in the arena were also discovered during the initial on-site inspections on Sunday. "There are shortcomings in the lightning and fire extinguishing systems," she stated.

According to Toskovski, who cited preliminary investigations, the fire was caused by sparks from pyrotechnic devices that struck the ceiling, which was composed of a highly flammable material.

The band, which was founded in 2002 and has dominated the North Macedonian charts for the last ten years, is shown on stage in the video as two flares go off, followed by sparks that ignite the roof and quickly spread.

People can be seen attempting to put out the flames on the ceiling in footage that the BBC has confirmed. The club was still packed, according to the video, and several patrons seemed to be observing attempts to extinguish the fire rather than departing.

According to reports, fear was sparked by the fact that the makeshift nightclub had only one entrance and one escape.

As everyone hurried to leave the party, 20-year-old Marija Taseva told Channel 5 TV that she got caught in a crush. She remembered getting trampled underfoot in the confusion and then collapsing to the ground, but she was able to escape.

She said, "I do not know how, but somehow I managed to escape out," to the news agency Reuters. "There are a lot of dead, but I am well now."

Her family had been looking for her 25-year-old sister, but she revealed that she had passed away, stating, "I was saved and she wasn't."

According to Mustafa Saidov, a Red Cross worker, the majority of those impacted were young adults between the ages of 18 and 20. Three of those murdered and over 20 injured were under the age of 18, according to officials.

"Unfortunately, many young lives are lost, the situation is terrible, chaotic, and the stories are incredibly tragic," Mr. Saidov continued.

The majority of patients receiving treatment at his facility had severe burns when they first came, according to Dr. Vladislav Gruev, a reconstructive and plastic surgery specialist at the University Clinic for Surgical Diseases in the capital, who spoke to the BBC.

In the head, neck, and upper torso, he reported, "[They have] second and third degree burns."

The head of Kocani's hospital had previously stated that the absence of ID cards had first made it difficult for personnel to identify patients. A total of eighteen patients were determined to be critically ill.

The loss of numerous "young lives" made it a "tough and extremely painful day" for the nation, according to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.

As part of ongoing investigations into the incident's circumstances, the government has proclaimed seven days of national mourning and is holding an emergency session.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova claimed to be startled "as a mother, as a person, as a president" after the incident. Speaking directly to the grieving, she continued, "Your enormous anguish is mine too."

In a statement, she stated that "no business or activity can function without standards and norms," "Let us not let anyone put innocent people's lives in peril ever again."

The most badly injured were being transported to specialized clinics in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Turkey for treatment, Siljanovska-Davkova continued.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen says the EU "stands in solidarity with the people of North Macedonia in this difficult time" as part of the condolences expressed by European leaders.

Described as "a catastrophe of great significance," neighboring Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that there are still concerns that "many more individuals will not be able to resist the kind of injuries they have at this moment."