Northern Macedonia‘s Foreign and Health Ministers Timčo Mucunski and Arben Taravar were in Thessaloniki to meet with injured people after a major fire broke out in a nightclub in the town of Kotsani, leaving 59 people dead.

Mr. Mucunski and Mr. Taravar were received in the town by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and MP of the New Democracy, Mr. Tasos Hatzivasileiou with the Deputy Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Gioulekas, they visited the General Hospital of Thessaloniki “Georgios Papanikolaou” and the 424 General Military Training Hospital, where they had the opportunity to talk to the wounded and express their support.

Speaking to the cameras, the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister noted, among other things, that “from the very first moment of the tragic accident in neighbouring North Macedonia, the Greek government and our country have stood in solidarity and humanity with the people of the neighbouring country”. As he added, “The services and care they receive are exemplary, our colleagues, the Foreign Minister and the Health Minister from North Macedonia and together with our colleague Mr Gioulekas, Deputy Minister of Interior, we have seen the condition of the patients, we have spoken with the families of the injured who are satisfied with the care their children receive here in Greece. I would like to tell you once again that the Greek government stands in solidarity with our neighbours and we are determined to assist in whatever is needed, with the hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated anywhere.”

For his part, the foreign minister of the neighbouring country, Mr Mucunski, thanked Greece and the Greek government for its assistance in the tragedy experienced by North Macedonia, the worst in the country’s history, he said. “What we saw here today was wonderful, all the medical assistance. I want to echo the words I heard from the doctor in charge of patient care who said ‘your children are our children too’. Some of the parents asked me to convey that they are grateful for the help, to the doctors, to the medical staff,” he said.

Watch a video of Mr. Mucunski’s remarks:

Similarly, Mr. Gioulekas spoke of an unprecedented tragedy. “Greece from the very first moment opened the gates of the hospitals, we are treating these young children and we are standing by the relatives. We wish from the bottom of our hearts that these children leave healthy and return to their homeland, we are doing everything we can, the doctors are on their side 24 hours a day.”

Sofia Papadopoulou, director of the burns ICU of the Papanikolaou Hospital, speaking about the three injured, said: “We cannot say that they have escaped the danger, they have burns mainly on the face and hands, they have inhaled smoke, they obviously stayed a long time in the place where the accident took place and so they have inhalation burns, so damage to the lungs and the airways which is what we see that can complicate their condition and the course of their health which will probably be long-term. We are doing everything we can, we have the capacity, we have the support of all the staff at the hospital to be able to do the best for these young patients,” she said. She added that the burn area is relatively small “from 15 to 25% but as I pointed out the inhalation burn is the one that will make it difficult for us because it is the worst for these patients.”