A devastating fire which broke out at a nightclub in North Macedonia in the early hours of Sunday morning has claimed at least 59 lives and left over 100 others hospitalized in a tragedy which has shocked the nation. The blaze was triggered by a pyrotechnics display used by a live band who were performing on stage at the club in Kocani, with footage showing flames being ignited in a small area of the ceiling before spreading throughout the club. The entire building reportedly only had one entry and exit point, which triggered further panic and caused a crush at the door, as the hundreds trapped inside attempted to flee from the flames. Authorities said the club had been operating illegally and was packed well beyond capacity. At least 15 people have been detained for questioning and others are under investigation as officials investigate the deadly incident. Hundreds of people gathered in Kocani's town center on Sunday evening to silently pay their respects, lighting candles to honor those who perished in the fire. The small town of 30,000 people is struggling to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy, while North Macedonia has declared seven days of mourning. Some of the more seriously injured victims have been taken to hospitals in neighboring countries for treatment. Many suffered deep burns, while a vocalist in the band that was performing was among those who lost their lives. One witness described the chaotic scenes which unfolded on the streets outside the nightclub after disaster struck, and said many locals had come to help transport victims to hospital. As news of the disaster spread, shaken relatives began arriving at the scene in a desperate search for their loved ones. One father was relieved to be able to find his 23-year-old son, who is now hospitalized in the capital Skopje. Shotlist: Kocani, North Macedonia - March 15, 2025: 1. Various of nightclub building on fire; 2. People, vehicles on street by accident site; Kocani, North Macedonia - March 16, 2025 3. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian, dubbed into English) Ilco Lazarovski, witness: "There weren't enough emergency vehicles, and people in their personal cars took some of the victims to the hospitals. There was chaos on the street. Some people were heading to the hospital, and others were coming to find their loved ones. The young people were in a panic and the parents were crying and screaming."; Kocani, North Macedonia - March 15, 2025 4. Footage showing pyrotechnics during stage performance, arrow showing flames on nightclub ceiling; 5. Nightclub building on fire; Kocani, North Macedonia - March 16, 2025 6. SOUNDBITE (Macedonian, dubbed into English) Vile, father of survivor (full name not given): "His hands are covered in burns, his head as well, and he says he's having difficulties breathing. He was taken to the nearest hospital by people who came to help. He was then sent to the hospital in Skopje. His friend called me in the middle of the night to tell me what happened."; Kocani, North Macedonia - March 15, 2025 7. Police car; nightclub building on fire; 8. Rescue operation, people, vehicles on street by accident site. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]