Roof collapse at Serbian railway station kills at least 13

Rescue workers work at the site where the roof of a railway station collapsed, killing several people, in Novi Sad, Serbia, on November 1, 2024. Photo courtesy: Reuters

The concrete ceiling above the entrance to a railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad collapsed on Friday, killing at least 13 people, with several feared buried under the debris.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said three people were rescued and hospitalized with serious injuries, and he did not expect the death toll to rise much higher.

“While we had eight victims, we knew there were five more people under the debris that we could not establish whether they were alive or dead,” Dacic told reporters.

He said that no signs of life were seen in him.

“Death occurred at the scene,” Dasic said.

Ambulances and other emergency teams were dispatched to the downtown station and bulldozers were clearing debris in search of survivors. About 80 rescue workers were at the scene and heavy machinery had removed large parts of the debris.

Surveillance camera footage showed people going in and out of the building and sitting on benches on a bright sunny day, before the concrete canopy suddenly collapsed. The building was recently renovated.

Dacic said the rescue operation was “extremely difficult” and would last several hours.

The Government of Serbia declared 2 November a day of mourning. Residents of Novi Sad were lighting candles across the street from the railway station in an expression of grief for the lost lives.

Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said, “This is a Black Friday for us, for all of Serbia.”

Vucevic said the roof was built in 1964 and an investigation is underway to determine what happened and who is responsible for the tragedy.

The renovated station was inaugurated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his populist ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban two years ago as a major stop for a planned fast train line between Belgrade and Budapest.

Serbia’s state railway company said the accident occurred at 11:50 a.m. local time. The company said the structure above the station entrance was not touched during the recent renovation.