Three months have passed since the fire in the Kocani nightclub, but for survivors and their families, the pain remains raw, BNT reports. In the town itself, people still gather, demanding justice for the loved ones they lost and the ones still recovering. They say nothing has changed since that tragic night.

Maria was among the most severely injured in the blaze. She spent 47 days in Sofia’s “Pirogov” emergency hospital - 12 of them intubated in intensive care. Though she is back home now, her body carries the marks of what she lived through. Her face and hands are scarred, and her recovery is ongoing. The hardest moment, she says, was when her eyes were bandaged, unsure if she’d ever be able to see again. “I was scared that I’d lost my sight,” she recalls in front of BNT's camera.

Dr. Martin Martinov, one of the doctors who treated her, explains that Maria had deep facial burns that severely damaged all four of her eyelids, leaving her unable to open or close her eyes. After several reconstructive surgeries, she’s regained full movement and function.

Her mother remembers the anguish of waiting outside the ICU, praying for a glimpse of hope. “From March 16 to April 4 - I didn’t see my child. When I finally entered her room and she hugged me and said, ‘Mom, I’m here, I’m fine,’ it felt like life had returned to me.”

Maria’s recovery will take time, with frequent hospital visits and follow-up treatments.

Lyubcho Dimitriev, whose son Mario also suffered 30% burns, visits Pirogov during yet another surgery - this time, on the neck. He describes the days after the fire as pure agony, filled with fear and uncertainty. The worst moment was learning his son’s life was in danger; the best was hearing he no longer needed a ventilator. “That was our victory,” Lyubcho says, crediting the doctors for treating the children as if they were their own. “It was a miracle.”

In Kocani, North Macedonia, Vesna now walks cautiously near the site of the fire. Her son Pavel was also seriously hurt and is still being treated in Sofia. Her daughter was later admitted to Pirogov as well, after doctors found burns on her hands. The trauma of nearly losing both children is something she carries with her daily. “The biggest fear in life is thinking you’ll never see your child again.”

Recovery is a long process for all survivors. Jovan, treated in Plovdiv, is slowly regaining movement with the help of physiotherapists. He underwent three operations - one on his right hand, two on his left—and says the early days were filled with fear about what he’d look like, or if he’d return to a normal life. Now, he says, he feels lucky just to be alive.

Doctors from across North Macedonia continue to support patients. Dr. Nikola Kostadinov, who travels to Kocani from another city, notes that about 50 survivors are in ongoing treatment there, and seven more are being cared for in Stip. Most of the injuries involve the hands, neck, and shoulders, requiring grafts and long-term rehabilitation. He estimates recovery could take up to two years. “The biggest challenge is getting them back to normal life,” he says, expressing deep gratitude to the Bulgarian medical teams and the Bulgarian people for their help.

Prof. Maya Argirova, head of the Burns and Plastic Surgery Clinic at Pirogov, says the first week was the hardest. For many patients, doctors couldn’t predict how treatment would go. Because most are young, still growing, additional complications arise, and follow-up procedures might be needed over the next two years.

Still, she says there’s one lesson that stands out amid all the suffering: “The most important thing we learned is how precious it is simply to be alive - and to be together.”

Source: Bulgarian National Television (BNT)