Skopje: The North Macedonian government held an emergency meeting on Thursday during an overnight fire which ripped the field hospital which was established to treat Covid-19 patients, leaving 14 dead.
Blaze broke out on Wednesday in the western city of Tetovo, where the hospital was regulated after a recent surge in infection in the area that left a full local hospital.
The main prosecutor’s office in the capital, Skopje, said 14 people were killed in the flames.
There are no medical personnel between them.
Tetovo Mayor of Teuta Arifi said three days of mourning the victims.
The Prosecutor’s Office ordered forensic experts to identify remnants, with the process expected to take longer than usual because the special protocol was needed because the victims were Covid-19 patients.
Around a dozen people were injured, even though the exact number was not immediately available.
“We saw the explosion and when we came here all on fire,” said the locals Nexhmedin Haliti.
“The firefighters arrived and began to remove the fire, it lasted for 15-20 minutes.
Everything on fire.” Five prosecutors, from Tetovo and Skopje, were working on an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said at Facebook post that Blaze followed the explosion on the site.
It is not clear what caused the explosion, but there was speculation that was associated with oxygen supplies.
“We were surprised.
This is a tragedy that I can’t even explain.
Very sad,” said the local resident of IDRIZ Brahimi.
“They are sick people who can’t get out.
This is a big disaster.” The Ministry of Health officials said their dead bodies were transferred to the hospital in the Skopje capital, about 45 kilometers (30 miles) to the east.
With less than 30% of the country around 2 million fully vaccinated populations, North Macedonia has seen a significant surge in Coronavirus infection and death since the end of August.