site.btaBulgaria Expresses Sympathy after North Macedonia Nightclub Tragedy, Offers Assistance

Bulgarian political leaders extended their condolences and offered assistance to North Macedonia following a nightclub fire that broke out in the early hours of Sunday in the town of Kocani, leaving 59 dead and more than 80 injured. Sofia is providing assistance to its neighbour to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

President Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria shares the pain of the people of the Republic of North Macedonia over the fire in Kocani. In a conversation with North Macedonia's head of State, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, he expressed his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. 

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said that Bulgaria has offered its help in the form of medical treatment to the victims of the fire. "I have ordered full readiness for admission in the clinical bases in Sofia and Varna. The Bulgarian Air Force is ready to transport those in need of treatment," Zhelyazkov said. "The fire at the nightclub in Kocani is a huge human tragedy. I offer my condolences to the relatives of the victims and my wishes for the recovery of the injured," he added.

The Foreign Ministry said there are no reports of Bulgarian citizens injured in the tragic incident.

Bulgaria's Health Minister Silvi Kirilov has been formed and necessary organization has been set up to provide full medical assistance to those injured, if necessary.

Meanwhile, six ambulances with as many medical teams left Bulgaria for North Macedonia.

By order of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, a Bulgarian Air Force Spartan aircraft left for the Republic of North Macedonia. The plane will take five people severely injured in the Kocani nightclub fire from Skopje to Bulgarian hospitals. The injured will be accommodated in specialized burn wards in hospitals in Sofia and Varna.