Skopje, 9 April 2024 (MIA) — Following the Universal Hall fire that broke out Tuesday morning, two middle-aged women were admitted to the Toxicology clinic with mild gas poisoning, a doctor from the clinic told MIA.

The two women were in a nearby apartment building when the fire erupted.

"They went to the balcony and briefly opened the door. We're talking about a small amount of gas. They are okay. We'll monitor them for several hours and then dismiss them," Toxicology doctor Niko Bekjarovski told MIA.

According to Skopje Fire Department chief Zvonko Tomeski earlier in the day, there were no casualties in the Universal Hall fire. Despite ongoing renovations, there were no construction workers at the premises at the moment when the building broke out in flames, he said.

Tomeski also said that although the temperature was extremely high and had caused material damage to some surrounding buildings, melting window shutters for example, the firefighters quickly brought it under control. 

Twenty-four firefighters were battling the blazes, using nine fire engines. The cause for the fire was yet to be determined by the police, he said. mr/