Tetovo, 9 September 2021 (MIA) – President Stevo Pendarovski told reporters in Tetovo on Thursday that according the information he has received from authorities, so far there are no indications that the fire that erupted in the modular hospital was intentional. The President said that the prosecutor in charge has informed him that the inspection of the scene will wrap up in a couple of hours, set to be followed by an official report. He urged institutions to speed up the process so as to prevent doubts forming in the public and stressed that responsibility will have to be taken. “So far, there are no indications that the fire was caused to achieve a political or any other goal. However, the prosecutor in charge should brief us today or in the next few days on any changes. The prosecutor’s office has charged relevant institutions to conduct investigations and given them five days to report back. After that, an overall report will be issued on what cause the fire and whether it was human error,” President Pendarovski underlined in front of the Tetovo hospital. The government, he added, has expressed willingness to summon foreign experts to assess the situation. The fact that the hospital burned down in just a few minutes, is according to the President grounds for a more in-depth analysis. “This, however, is in the hands of institutions. There are enough experts involved in this multi-layer investigation. We’ll find out the truth shortly. There has been conjecture over the possibility of the incident being arson or related to the country’s 30th independence anniversary. So far, there are no indications that the fire was intentional or caused to achieve a political or any other goal,” the President stressed, noting that the prosecutor in charge will provide more details soon. According to him, responsibility will have to be taken after the investigation is over. We, he added, can’t allow the investigation to go on for months, without producing results. The Macedonian public, Pendarovski said, deserves quick and thorough answers. “I always insist on responsibility, being moral, political, subjective or objective. However, I can’t claim right now that there’s grounds for taking responsibility. What I do know is that authorities must react quickly to conduct a thorough investigation and produce a report. In that regard, I commend the government’s decision to accept assistance from foreign experts, so that there are no doubts that someone is hiding something. I know that several NATO members have offered help and experts should arrive in North Macedonia in the next 48 hours,” President Pendarovski noted. He also briefed reporters on the autopsy process. “The autopsy of the 14 patients who were killed is difficult and should wrap up today or tomorrow at the latest, followed by identification of the victims. We currently don’t know who these 14 people are,” the President said. He added that the relatives of the patients treated at the hospital have been summoned to give blood samples to facilitate the identification process. The Ministry of Health said Thursday that 14 people were killed in yesterday’s fire in the Tetovo COVID center. Twenty-six patients were treated in the modular hospital during the fire. The remaining 12 patients have been transferred to the Tetovo hospital and their injuries are not life-threatening. There is no medical staff among the victims, with a few suffering minor injuries, said the Ministry while offering condolences to the victims and expressing deep regret over the horrific tragedy. The Ministry added that information would be available throughout the day, urging media and citizens to follow the official news and refrain from speculation.