Luxembourg participates in the international evacuation of fire victims in Northern Macedonia
Irwan, Unsplash
Following the tragic nightclub fire in Northern Macedonia that killed at least 59 people and left more than 150 injured, Luxembourg actively joined the international humanitarian operation to evacuate the victims.
Authorities said 140 people were hospitalised, of whom 51 were transferred to hospitals in other countries, including Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Bulgaria.
Luxembourg assistance covered four victims evacuated with the Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), in co-operation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Two patients were sent to Hungary and two more to Croatia for specialised treatment.
The medical evacuation was carried out by Luxembourg Air Rescue with the support of emergency.lu, a system that provides emergency flights. The operation was partly funded by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Meanwhile, the authorities in North Macedonia have launched an investigation into the causes of the fire, which, according to preliminary reports, may have been caused by pyrotechnics used inside the club. The first images published on social media support the hypothesis of unauthorised use of torches.
This tragic incident once again underlined the importance of international co-operation in the field of emergency assistance, where Luxembourg has traditionally taken a proactive stance, offering technological and transport infrastructure for rescue operations around the world.
