Tragically, Andrej Lazarov, a football player from Macedonia, perished in a nightclub fire early on Sunday morning. The 25-year-old died valiantly while attempting to save others inside the building at the time and assist them in escaping the flames. The fire is reported to have killed 59 people and injured 155 others during a gig.
The Daily Mail reports that more than a thousand fans attended the performance by hip-hop duo DNK at the Pulse nightclub in the Macedonian town of Kocani. There were fireworks being used inside the venue, according to social media footage. The impact of the fire, which started shortly after, was catastrophic. “At the moment of activating the so-called sprinklers, the sparks caught the ceiling that was made of easily flammable material after which for a very short period of time the fire spread across the whole discotheque, creating a thick smoke,” stated Interior Minister Pance Toskovski, who said that the pyrotechnics were likely the cause of the fire.
Lazarov played professional football in Croatia for a while and was a former Macedonian youth international. However, he signed for Shkupi in September of last year after returning to his home country. His club has now addressed the tragic events in an official statement.
Lazarov Has Been Hailed as a Hero
His club released a moving statement
One of the victims of the nightclub fire in 🇲🇰 is Andrej Lazarov, a footballer from FC Shkupi. While helping others escape, he inhaled the smoke, which tragically took his life. True heroes are made of courage. 🎗️ pic.twitter.com/I64VwQhgz1
— albbibe (@albbibe) March 16, 2025
In an official statement, Shkupi, who had lost one of their own, recognised Lazarov as a hero, praised his bravery for attempting to save others in what would unfortunately be his last moments, and called his loss “immense.” It said:
We regret to inform you that Andrej Lazarov, one of our football players, was one of the people killed in the terrible Kočani fire. Lazarov, being the hero that he was, died attempting to save others from the flames. During his valiant deed, smoke engulfed him. We shall never forget his humanity and bravery in those last moments.
“Our team, his teammates, and the football community are all devastated by this tragedy. The sorrow we experience amid this catastrophe is beyond words.
The 25-year-old midfielder was among the 59 persons who perished in the fire, which is reported to have started at around three in the morning local time. Emergency personnel from nearby towns raced to the scene.
