Today, funerals will be held for the victims of the devastating fire in Kočani. Macedonian media report that seven police officers, suspected of criminal offenses related to public safety in connection with the fire, have been placed in 30-day detention.
As official figures from the Štip Police Department and the Kočani Police Station, the officers are accused of enabling a legal entity to obtain a license for operating a cabaret despite the facility not meeting the required safety standards. Their actions have been deemed responsible for creating significant risks to human life and safety, ultimately leading to the fire on March 16, which claimed the lives of 59 people and left 196 others with serious injuries.
Previously, it was reported that 17 individuals were held in detention in connection with the fire.
The victims’ funerals will take place at 11 AM in Štip, at 12 PM in Kočani, and at 1 PM in the village of Obleševo. Additional funerals for victims from other areas will be held at varying times, as reported by Radio Free Europe.
Members of the DNK band who perished in the fire will be buried in Skopje and Strumica. Band member and Faculty of Music Arts professor Sara Projkovska will be laid to rest at the Lisiče cemetery, while lead singer Andrej Gjorgjieski will be buried at the Butel cemetery. Drummer Đorđije Đorđijev, from Strumica, will be laid to rest at the Strumica city cemetery.
