31 victims were buried with dignity, tears and prayers in Kočani; Emergency services intervened PHOTO/VIDEO

Only sobs and prayers could be heard at the Kočani cemetery.

The remaining victims were buried in the same atmosphere in Skopje, Štip, Strumica, Obleševo ​​and other Macedonian cities and municipalities.

The funeral in Kočani started at noon.

The funeral was served by the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archdiocese, Archbishop Stefan with members of the Synod.

The honoring ceremony was held according to a special protocol, and from the victims, among whom are mostly young people, family members, relatives, fellow citizens and numerous citizens who came from all over the country said their goodbyes.

A large number of medical teams and tanks with drinking water are around the city cemetery.

The funeral was followed by numerous media teams from the country and abroad. Among them are some who ignored the appeals of families, authorities and the Church not to record sad moments and to allow the families, relatives and friends of the victims to say goodbye in peace, prayer and dignity.

According to media reports, since the early hours of the morning, a river of people has been arriving at the cemetery, which is secured by a large number of police officers.

From those who died in the fire, mail is still being delivered in cities throughout the country, as well as in the capital, where candles were lit in the central city's Square of Macedonia.

Emergency teams on duty at the cemetery had to intervene several times.

The coffins with the bodies of the victims were brought to the place where they will be buried, and at the moment when the coffins were placed, the painful silence was broken by the sobs of all present.

A large number of young people who wore black T-shirts with the inscription: "Rest in peace, our angels" came to the cemetery.

The singer of the DNA band Andrej Georgevski was buried at 10 a.m. at the city cemetery in Butel in Skopje.

The Minister of Health of North Macedonia, Arben Taravari, said today that all patients who were injured in the catastrophic fire in Kočani, who are being treated in North Macedonia and abroad, are in a stable and good condition. He also announced that the planned discharge from hospitals will begin tomorrow.

The Government of North Macedonia, in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and in consultation with the Association of Macedonian Journalists (AJM), as well as the Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), developed a security protocol when reporting on the funeral of the victims of the tragic event that took place on March 16 in Kočani.

For media representatives reporting on the event, police officers will provide a special zone along the route of the procession, 300 meters from the entrance to the chapel at the city cemetery in Kočani.

This area will be secured by members of the MIA in order to guarantee order and security in the designated area. The ban on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will also apply in this zone.

This media protocol aims to protect the privacy of the victims' families, while at the same time allowing journalists and cameramen to safely cover the event from an appropriate distance.

Tanjug/AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski

The authorities appeal to the media to report with empathy, with respect for the pain of the families, to avoid sensationalism, and to publish verified information.

Citizens are asked to behave sensibly and send off the victims of the tragedy in Kočani with dignity.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, Panče Toškovski, appealed to all the media to refrain from broadcasting moving scenes from the funerals of those killed in the fire at the Pulse night club in Kočani.

Toškovski said that respecting the call of the families of the tragic victims is the most humane decision that can be made in such moments.

The Ministry of Health announced today the names of all 59 people who died in the fire, who were between the ages of 16 and 48.

Six of them were 16 and 17 years old, and most of them were between 24 and 26 years old.

Almost 200 people were injured in the catastrophic fire, dozens of them suffered severe burns. About a hundred of them are undergoing treatment abroad.

The government strongly condemned the irresponsible and unethical behavior of foreign media

The Government of North Macedonia has expressed the strongest and unequivocal condemnation of the irresponsible and unethical behavior of certain foreign media which, despite continuous appeals to respect ethical journalism, today crossed every line of humanity and dignity in reporting on the tragic funeral in Kočani.

The Government announced that at a time when integrity, accuracy and responsibility should be the basis of reporting, "we are witnessing non-compliance with these principles".

"Sensationalism and the pursuit of disturbing photos and attention-grabbing headlines that take precedence over the truth degrade the very essence of journalism. This is not only unacceptable, but also deeply harmful to the general public, but more importantly to the individuals and families of those affected by this enormous tragedy. Exploiting a moment of grief and sorrow for the sake of spectacle is reprehensible," the government statement said.

The Government once again appealed to all media to adhere to the highest standards of professional reporting and to respect personal pain and dignity.

"The right to information must never come at the cost of basic human decency. We still expect responsible reporting that serves the public interest. The government remains committed to transparency and freedom of the media, but we will not remain silent about unethical practices that violate the principles of honesty and respect," they stated and pointed out:

"We call on the relevant international media bodies to take this into account and stop this dangerous trend before it further undermines public trust."