Berovo monastery lightning tragedy marks 30 years

Three decades have passed since the lightning tragedy at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Monastery near Berovo, North Macedonia. On August 29, 1996, lightning strikes hit the monastery grounds during a large religious gathering, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuring between 40 and 52 others.

The event occurred during a mass assembly where an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people had gathered. The celebration had been moved to August 29, one day after the feast of the Assumption, to allow for a traditional communal meal involving meat, which was not permitted on the fasting day of August 28.

Witnesses described a sudden darkening of the sky followed by intense lightning and rain. Some reports indicate strikes hit the monastery fence, an oven, and large metal cauldrons used for food preparation, causing immediate chaos and panic. In the aftermath, then-Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Minister of Defense Blagoj Handzhiski visited the site. While local folklore has long debated whether the rescheduling of the feast brought divine retribution, the event remains one of the most significant tragedies in the history of the Maleshevo region.