Cvetković: The Tragedy Reveals Numerous Human, Technical, and Organizational Failures
Commenting on the accident in a nightclub in North Macedonia, Professor Vladimir Cvetković, Director of the International Institute for Disaster Research, stated that this tragedy highlights numerous human, technical, and organizational failures, which cannot be attributed solely to the responsibility of the venue owner.
“Responsibility does not rest solely on individuals but also on society as a whole when it comes to safety issues. In this particular case, the venue did not meet basic safety standards,” said Cvetković.
He emphasized that the nightclub lacked adequate technical safety measures, such as a hydrant network, automatic fire detection, and suppression systems.
He pointed out that a key failure was that inspectors did not conduct timely inspections of venues in North Macedonia, and the responsibility, in a hierarchical sense, extends to the Minister of Internal Affairs, who, in his view, did not take a sufficiently serious approach to improving the safety of public venues.
“Very often, people themselves cause these types of fires, as was the case in Kočani, where the use of pyrotechnic devices led to the disaster,” Cvetković stressed.
According to him, a similar situation exists in Serbia.
“Unfortunately, I cannot say that the situation is significantly better. Emergency inspectors often react only after a tragedy has occurred,” Cvetković emphasized.
He warned that Serbia lacks a national disaster risk reduction strategy, as well as a protection and rescue plan.
“We still do not have a proactive system that identifies and reduces risks before tragedies occur,” said Cvetković.
The professor particularly emphasized that all public venues must have fire protection plans and risk assessments, but in practice, many do not comply with these standards.
“Many venue owners try to increase the capacity of their spaces, neglecting safety measures just to maximize profit. The safety culture among owners is at a low level, as many of them are unwilling to invest in security and instead focus solely on financial gain,” he explained.
Finally, Cvetković concluded that the state must take responsible steps to enhance the safety of its citizens. He proposed that mandatory evacuation training be conducted in all public venues, as is the practice in many developed countries.
