Several people have been arrested after a North Macedonian nightclub fire killed 59 and left over 150 injured.  

According to the ABC, up to 20 people have been detained for questioning after preliminary investigations revealed the club ‘Pulse’ in Kocani was operating without a proper license. 

Interior minister Panche Toshkovski said the company did not have a legal license.  

“This license, as many other things in Macedonia in the past, is connected with bribery and corruption,” he said.  

The blaze reportedly began at around 2.35am (6.35pm AEDT) on Sunday night during the concert of local pop duo, DNK. Only one member of the group survived and was treated in hospital.  

The fire started after the roof caught on fire due to club-goers using pyrotechnics, causing it to collapse and creating a stampede. 

The Macedonian government has declared seven days of national mourning to remember and pay tribute to those who lost their lives or were injured. 

The nightclub was originally a carpet warehouse and was allegedly not equipped with proper emergency protection in case of a fire as there was a lack of fire extinguishers and only one exit. 

Reports suggest that there were 1,500 people crammed into the venue, which according to local media outlets exceeded the venue’s capacity.