Serbia opens probe into railway building disaster that killed 14

NOVI SAD, Serbia – Serbia wound up a rescue operation and opened an investigation on Nov 2 into a roof collapse that killed 14 and injured three at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad.

The disaster happened on Nov 1 when a length of roofing along the entrance to the station collapsed on a sunny day. Rescuers worked into the night, using heavy construction machinery to free the dead and wounded from under the rubble.

The station in the city about 70km north-west of Belgrade was renovated in 2021 and 2022.

Other minor works continued until July 2024, when the Transportation Ministry said a total of €16 million (S$23 million) had been invested in the renovation.

Transport Minister Goran Vesic said the inquiry, opened by the authorities in Novi Sad, would include the state Traffic Institute, state railway company and the Chinese consortium that undertook the renovation work.

“The investigation will determine... who made decisions and put seals and signatures, who was in charge of controlling the (quality of) works,” he said in a TV broadcast.

Mr Vesic, the state Serbian Railways, the Traffic Institute and the Chinese consortium – China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company – all said the part of the building that collapsed was not a part of the renovation work.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said 20 people would be interviewed by the authorities on Nov 2 in connection with the disaster, including people from the ministry in charge and the state railway operator.

“The documentation about the building will (also) be obtained... about who made the decisions,” he added.

The authorities declared Nov 2 a national day of mourning.

On the morning of Nov 2, people brought flowers and lit candles near the site. Workers were clearing away the last of the rubble.

Serbia’s opposition, which accuses the authorities loyal to President Aleksandar Vucic of rampant corruption, nepotism and excessive red tape, called for a protest in downtown Novi Sad later in the day. 

President Vucic, a populist, and his allies deny such allegations. In a televised address late on Nov 1, he promised justice and demanded harsh punishment for those responsible. 

As he spoke, hundreds of people lit candles at a vigil outside the city hall to honour the victims of the disaster. Sorrow was gradually evolving into anger. 

“We demand to know who is responsible for this because someone is,” said 27-year-old resident Mila Jovic, who attended the vigil.