14 people dead in fire at makeshift Covid hospital in North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, 14 people lost their lives yesterday in a fire at a makeshift hospital treating COVID-19 patients. Footage shared on social media showed a building in flames and a thick cloud of black smoke billowing into the air near a main road in the city of Tetovo. Firefighters put out the blaze in less than an hour.

Public prosecutors confirmed 14 deaths. They said, they were investigating whether there were more victims, as reported



locally. This is a very sad day, Health Minister Venko Filipce wrote on Twitter.

North Macedonia has a population of about two million people and, with COVID vaccination rates below 30 per cent, it has seen a recent surge in cases and deaths. Tetovo is one of the most affected areas, as many expat Macedonians are said to have visited friends and relatives there during the summer months.