Authorities have said the club's licence was obtained illegally, and that the venue lacked fire extinguishers and emergency exits and was made of flammable materials. State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a total of 24 suspects were being held and three were still in hospital after the fire, which he said had been caused by a "chain of omissions and illegal actions by officials". The suspects include officials responsible for the operating licences, the club owner, a member of a band that played in the club, police officers, and security guards who let in minors and pyrotechnics, he said.