At least 59 people died and more than 150 were injured in the inferno. The authorities said the venue’s hospitality permit had been issued illegally.

Hundreds of people scrambled for the small venue’s only exit as the fire spread across the ceiling, leaving many trapped in the country’s deadliest incident in years.

Fire ripped through a packed nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring more than 100.