Twelve dead in Serbia after train station roof collapses

At least 12 people were killed on Friday after part of an exterior roof collapsed at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the interior minister said.

“The current number of bodies recovered is twelve,” Ivica Dacic told public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia, raising an earlier figure of eight deaths and warning of other likely fatalities.

“This number will not be final,” the minister added.

The head of the city’s Vojvodina clinic, Vesna Turkulov, earlier told reporters that three people recovered from the rubble were in a serious condition, two of whom were undergoing operations.

“The injuries are very serious,” she said.

Earlier, the interior minister said rescuers were working to free several people trapped under the wreckage of the roof.

Cranes and excavators worked with emergency services to dig through the rubble to search for survivors, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

“The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. More than 80 rescuers are involved, with the help of heavy machinery,” Dacic said on Friday afternoon.

The Serbian government said an official day of mourning will be held on Saturday, according to a statement published by the country’s state broadcaster.

The Blood Transfusion Institute in Novi Sad also called on residents to donate blood after the accident.

The station, which serves Serbia’s second-largest city, reopened in July after three years of renovation work. Construction was still ongoing in parts of the station.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic promised that authorities would investigate the cause of the accident.

“We will insist on finding those responsible, those who should have guaranteed the safety of the building. My condolences to the families of the deceased,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is a Black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad,” he added.

Serbian Railways said in a statement that the collapsed roof was not part of the station’s renovation work.

“Serbian Railways regrets the accident that occurred and the causes and any new details from the investigation will be announced immediately,” the company wrote in a post on social media.

In March 2022, a high-speed rail link was opened between Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade.

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