SKOPJE: Thirteen people including a former government minister were remanded in custody for 30 days in North Macedonia on Friday over a nightclub blaze, believed to have been caused by pyrotechnics, that killed 59 people including six minors.
The incident, in which another 197 people were injured, has shattered Kocani, a town of 25,000 people east of the capital Skopje.
Authorities have said the club’s license was obtained illegally, and that the venue lacked fire extinguishers and emergency exits and was made of flammable materials.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a total of 24 suspects were being held and three were still in hospital after the fire, which he said had been caused by a “chain of omissions and illegal actions by officials.”
The suspects include officials responsible for the operating licenses, the club owner, a member of a band that played in the club, police officers, and security guards who let in minors and pyrotechnics, he said.
Authorities have been inspecting nightclubs and cafes around the country this week for safety violations.
North Macedonia orders detention for 13 people over nightclub fire that killed 59
https://arab.news/ywaqu
North Macedonia orders detention for 13 people over nightclub fire that killed 59
- Authorities have said the club’s license was obtained illegally
- State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a total of 24 suspects were being held and three were still in hospital after the fire
Indian PM calls deadly Delhi blast ‘conspiracy’
- Explosion in Delhi near Red Fort killed at least eight, wounded 19 on Monday evening
- Indian police official says investigating blast in capital under anti-terrorism laws
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called a deadly car explosion in the heart of the capital that killed at least eight people a “conspiracy,” vowing those responsible will face justice.
Police are yet to give exact details of what caused Monday’s blast near the historic Red Fort, one of India’s most well-known landmarks, and the site of the annual prime minister’s Independence Day speech.
It is the first significant security incident since April 22, when 26 mainly Hindu civilians were killed at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggering clashes with Pakistan.
“I assure everyone that the agencies will get to the bottom of the entire conspiracy,” Modi said, in a speech during a state visit to neighboring Bhutan, without giving further details.
“All those involved will be brought to justice.”
At least 19 people were also wounded when flames ripped through several vehicles. Crime scene investigators scoured through the wreckage early on Tuesday.
The explosion on Monday came hours after Indian police said they had arrested a gang and seized explosive materials and assault rifles.
Police said the men were linked with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group that India says is based in Pakistan, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a Kashmir offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
Both groups are listed as “terrorist” organizations in India.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at a conference in New Delhi, said that investigative agencies were “conducting a swift and thorough inquiry” and that the findings “will soon be made public.”
Singh, echoing Modi’s words, said “those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice, and will not be spared under any circumstances.”
Senior Delhi police officer Raja Banthia said they were investigating the blast in the crowded Old Delhi quarter of the city, under anti-terrorism laws.
New Delhi’s deputy chief fire officer AK Malik told AFP shortly after the explosion that eight people had been killed.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported on Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 12, although that figure has not been confirmed.
’PEOPLE WERE BURNING’
Witnesses described to AFP how the car exploded in traffic and how people caught up in the surge of flames were set on fire.
“I saw the car explode while it was moving,” said Dharmindra Dhaga, 27.
“People were on fire and we tried to save them... Cars and people were burning — people inside the cars were burning,” he said.
“I was telling the public to save them, rescue them, and get them out. The public was busy making videos and taking photos.”
The emergency ward at Delhi’s LNJP hospital was chaotic after the explosion as wounded people streamed in and doctors rushed to treat them.
A woman broke down outside the ward where her husband was being treated.
“I can’t bear to see him like that,” she said as her brother tried to console her.
New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the gunmen after the April attack in Pahalgam, a claim denied by Islamabad.
That attack sparked clashes between the nuclear-armed arch rivals in May, when more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire was struck.
The last significant attack in the Indian capital was in September 2011, when a bomb hidden in a briefcase ripped through a crowd outside New Delhi’s High Court, killing at least 14 people.
