Protests in Serbia after station roof collapse kills 14

A six-year-old girl was among those killed when the supports holding an exterior concrete canopy gave way, causing the canopy to fall on people sitting or walking below, Euro News reports.

The three who survived were pulled from the rubble by rescuers; all had to have limbs amputated.

Protesters gathered in the capital Belgrade on Saturday to demand that officials be held responsible.

Several thousand demonstrators called for politicians to resign and some left red handprints at the entrances of government buildings.

The main focus of the complaints was the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure in central Belgrade. Police formed a cordon outside the building as those outside called on the minister, Goran Vesic, to step down.

AP reports that the crowds chanted “Arrest, arrest!” and told police officers they are “guarding murderers” and that “your hands are bloody,” while holding banners reading “corruption kills” and “we are all under the canopy!”

In an address on Serbian television, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said “those responsible” would be punished.”

“This is a great, terrible tragedy for Novi Sad and for all of Serbia,” he added, and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

Around 80 rescuers using heavy machinery were involved in the search for survivors.

The Novi Sad railway station was built in 1964, and was the subject of renovations in 2021 and 2022, preparing it to become a stop on the $2.9bn high-speed line between Belgrade and Budapest.

The work was carried out by Chinese construction companies.

Reuters reports that Transport Minister Goran Vesic, state Serbian Railways company, the state Traffic Institute and the consortium – comprising China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company – all said on Friday that the part of the building that collapsed was not a part of the works.

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