SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia, June 13, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Thirty-four people, including former ministers, were indicted on Friday over their role in a nightclub fire in North Macedonia that killed 62 people in March, the public prosecutor said.

The owner of the club, former ministers, mayors, directors of the national directorate for protection and rescue, a security agency owner and members, building inspectors and other officials, figure among the indicted, public prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski told a press conference.

The indictment was filed with the basic court in Kocani, that has to approve it yet.

It targets "34 individuals and three legal entities for criminal acts that caused significant danger to the life and bodies of people and property on a large scale", Kocevski said.

One of Europe's deadliest nightclub fires broke out March 16 during a hip-hop concert in the Club Pulse in the eastern town of Kocani. Nearly 200 people were injured in the blaze.

The blaze was linked to stage fireworks set off inside during the concert, which triggered a stampede for the exit in the over-crowded club.

A team of dozen prosecutors investigated the club's entire work from its opening in 2012, Kocevski said.

The indictment content showed that almost all regulations for operating a night club were breached.

Irregularities included violations of fire regulations, security plans, including an insufficient number of fire extinguishers and emergency exits and forged licenses, but also building and reconstruction licenses.

"All of them (the indicted) had power and legal competences to prevent the tragedy or to decrease the potential for it concerning the loss of lives, but no one did that," the public prosecutor said.

"The conscious disregard for safety procedures by many individuals and institutions contributed to the extremely severe consequences and the inability to prevent the tragedy and save sixty-two young lives in time."

In a separate investigation led by the anti-corruption and organised crime prosecutors, 13 police officers and officials were arrested on Thursday.

Weekly protests led by the parents and relatives of the killed and injured in the fire have grown in recent weeks demanding answers from the authorities for not including current police officers and officials in the investigation.