Dozens of feared dead in the northern Macedonian nightclub fire

According to local media reports, there is fear that dozens of people were killed in a nightclub fire in northern Macedonia.

The fire broke out in the Pulse Club in Kocani in the early morning hours of Sunday, a city that is about 100 km east of the capital in Skopje.

The film material published on social media shows that the building is integrated into flames and smoke bored into the night sky.

Local media say that up to 50 may have been killed and many more injured, but there is no official confirmation.

The fire is said to have started at 3:00 a.m. (02:00 GMT) during a performance of the band ADN, a hip-hop duo, which is popular in the country, with the venue on flames hours later.

Up to 1,500 are said to have participated in the concert.

Local media say that the fire may have been caused by the use of pyrotechnic devices, with film material showing sparks from the stage on the ceiling before spreading quickly.