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Police officers and forensics analyse the tract astatine a burned retired makeshift infirmary aft a occurrence successful North Macedonia's northwestern metropolis of Tetovo, aboriginal Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. The blaze occurred precocious Wednesday astatine the makeshift infirmary for COVID-19 patients. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

North Macedonia's authorities was holding an exigency gathering Thursday implicit an overnight occurrence that ripped done a tract infirmary acceptable up to dainty COVID-19 patients, leaving 14 radical dead.

The blaze broke retired precocious Wednesday successful the occidental metropolis of Tetovo, wherever the infirmary had been acceptable up pursuing a caller spike successful infections successful the portion that near section hospitals full.

The main prosecutor's bureau successful the capital, Skopje, said 14 radical had been killed successful the blaze. There were nary aesculapian unit among them.

Tetovo Mayor Teuta Arifi declared 3 days of mourning for the victims.

The prosecutor's bureau ordered forensic experts to place the remains, with the process expected to instrumentality longer than accustomed owed to peculiar protocols required due to the fact that the victims were COVID-19 patients.

About a twelve radical were injured, though the nonstop fig wasn't instantly available.

“We saw the detonation and erstwhile we came present everything was successful flames,” said section nonmigratory Nexhmedin Haliti. “ Firefighters arrived and started to enactment the occurrence out, it lasted for 15- 20 minutes. Everything burnt out.”

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Five prosecutors, from Tetovo and Skopje, are moving connected the probe into the causes of the fire. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said successful a Facebook station that the blaze followed an detonation astatine the site. It was unclear what caused the blast, but determination was speculation that it was linked to oxygen supplies.

”We are shocked. It is simply a calamity that I can’t adjacent explain. Very sad," said section nonmigratory Idriz Brahimi. "Those were sick radical who couldn’t get out. It is simply a immense catastrophe.”

Health Ministry officials said the bodies of those who died were transferred to hospitals successful the superior Skopje, astir 45 kilometers (30 miles) to the east.

With little than 30% of the country’s astir 2 cardinal colonisation afloat vaccinated, North Macedonia has seen a important spike successful coronavirus infections and deaths since precocious August.

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Zenel Zhinipotoku contributed to this study from Tetovo, North Macedonia.

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