Professional soccer player Andrej Lazarov passed away while attempting to save partygoers during a nightclub fire in Kocani, Macedonia. The tragic incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, March 16, 2025, at the Pulse Club.
Lazarov's club, FC Shkupi of the Macedonian First Football League, confirmed the 25-year-old's passing in a statement on Facebook. The soccer club explained that the athlete reportedly succumbed to smoke inhalation while trying to save those stuck inside the burning venue.
"His heroic act will forever remain in our memory, as a testament to his noble character and his big heart," the statement noted (translated).
According to BBC, people gathered at the nightclub for a concert by DNK, a local hip-hop duo. Citing initial reports, interior minister Pance Toskovski stated that the venue's roof caught fire after sparks from pyrotechnic devices that were used during the show hit the ceiling, starting the fire.
The incident led to the deaths of at least 59 people, with 155 more injured.
Andrej Lazarov previously played for FK Rabotnichki and GFK Tikvesh in the Macedonian First Football League
According to Express Tribune, Andrej Lazarov joined the second-tier Macedonian club FC Shkupi last September, playing as a midfielder. Per the publication, the athlete's teammates described him as a dedicated and humble person who quickly became a valued member of their team.
Lazarov previously played on the youth national team and spent a season competing in the Croatian Football League, per MacedonianFootball.com. He also played for FK Rabotnichki and GFK Tikvesh, ranked 3rd and 9th in the Macedonian FFL, respectively. It is worth noting that Andrej Lazarov's FC Shkupi is ranked at the 6th spot in the league.
In an earlier Facebook statement, Shkupi initially said that Andrej Lazarov was "out of danger" but remained in "intensive care." It was elaborated that the athlete suffered burns on his body.
Expressing their condolences to Lazarov's family, the club added:
"This is a huge loss to our club, his teammates and the entire football community. Words are small to describe the pain we are feeling right now, in this tragedy - one of the biggest hit by our club in its history."
Andrej Lazarov was not the only soccer player who lost his life in the nightclub fire. According to various reports (MacedonianFootball.com and Instagram user @433.nmk), 18-year-old goalkeeper Damjan Taneski also passed away on Sunday. Taneski, who last played for Mal Ajaks, played for teams like Kit-Go Pehcevo, Vardar Skopje, and Bregalnica, according to MacedonianFootball.com.
Meanwhile, as per BBC, only one member of DNK survived the fire and is currently being treated at the hospital. Interior Minister Pance Toskovski explained that fifteen people, including the owner of Pulse Club, have been detained in connection to the fire. Citing Toskovski, the BBC reported that the venue didn't have a legal license to operate.
Toskovski suggested they would be questioned on "grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption." Biljana Arsovska, with the public prosecutor's office, elaborated that in their first on-site inspection of the nightclub, authorities found several "deficiencies" in its fire safety system, including having a single exit.
No other updates have been observed at this writing.
