Trial in Kocani "Pulse" nightclub fire continues with presentation of construction experts' findings

The trial over the Kocani nightclub fire resumed in the Idrizovo courtroom with experts presenting the findings of the structural assessment of the "Pulse" building. The blaze, which occurred in a nightclub in Kocani, killed 63 people and injured more than 200.

At the previous hearing the forensic engineers testified that the "Pulse" venue had been converted from an industrial facility into a nightclub without proper authorization and in violation of the urban planning rules. Their assessment also identified gypsum‑board partitions and doors inside the venue that constituted direct obstacles to evacuation.

Experts outline urban‑planning and construction findings

The two expert witnesses called to give evidence in court were Dusica Trpchevska Angelkovikj and Marijana Lazarevska. Both addressed aspects of the expertise related to urbanism and building construction that the court has ordered examined.

During her testimony, Lazarevska showed photographs documenting the installation of steel beams and columns on the ground floor of the complex — described in the evidence as building 1 — work carried out in 2012 in connection with the conversion from a carpet warehouse into a hospitality venue.

The defence challenged the way the photos were introduced, arguing the exhibits did not indicate precisely where each image fits within the case file. The court then adjourned and instructed that when the hearing continues the photographic record should be presented with a numerical indexing to clarify the provenance and location of each image.

Photo: press material from the event