On Saturday, Serbia launched an investigation into the collapse of a concrete shelter above the entrance to a railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia, which resulted in the killing of 14 people. The collapse was reported on Friday, although the weather was good, sunny. Search and rescue teams worked through the night to pull the dead and injured from the concrete rubble.
At the station in Novi Sad, a city about 70 kilometers northwest of Belgrade, renovation works have been carried out. The Minister of Transport, Goran Vesić, has said that the investigations that have started in Novi Sad will also include the State Traffic Institute, the state railway company, and a Chinese consortium that has carried out renovation works.
“The investigations will prove who made the decisions and who put the signatures, who was engaged to control the quality of the works”, Vesić said on state television.
Vesiq, the state railway company, the state Traffic Institute and the Chinese consortium have said that the collapsed part of the building was not part of the renovations. The Serbian Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, has said that 20 people will be interviewed on Saturday regarding this disaster, including ministry officials who are in charge of these issues.
“The documentation for the building will also be provided… who made the decisions”, Dacic said.
The authorities have declared Saturday a day of mourning. People were seen sending flowers and lighting candles near the site of the incident. The Serbian opposition, which accuses authorities loyal to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of massive corruption and nepotism, has called for protests in Novi Sad later in the day.
Vucic, a populist, and his allies reject these claims. Vučić himself has vowed on Friday that there will be justice and has demanded harsh punishments for those responsible.