The death toll could rise further, but at least twelve people were killed on Friday in the collapse of part of an exterior roof at a train station in Novi Sad, in northern Serbia, the Minister of Defense said. 'Interior, Ivica Dacic, as rescue operations continue.
“The current number of bodies found is twelve. Twelve people therefore lost their lives,” Mr. Dacic told Serbian public radio and television, after earlier announcing a death toll of eight. And the minister suggested that the death toll could rise further.
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Several injuries were also reported. Three people, extracted from the rubble, are in serious condition, two of whom are currently undergoing surgery, Vesna Turkulov, director of the medical center in the province of Vojvodina, of which Novi Sad is the capital, told the press. “The injuries are very serious,” she added. The government announced that an official day of mourning would be observed on Saturday, according to a statement broadcast by public television.
The Novi Sad Blood Transfusion Institute also called on residents to donate blood after the accident. According to the Minister of the Interior, “the rescue operation is still ongoing and is extremely complicated. More than 80 rescuers are mobilized.” He said rescuers were in contact with at least two people trapped in the rubble.
Cranes and excavators are being used to search the rubble for survivors, according to an AFP photographer on site. Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, for his part, promised an investigation into the causes of the accident.
A station currently under construction
“We will insist on finding those who are responsible, those who should have ensured the safety of the structure. My condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said, adding: “It’s a Black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad.”
After three years of partial renovation, a portion of the station in Novi Sad, Serbia's second largest city, reopened in July. But some parts are still under construction.
However, the Serbian Railways company clarified in a statement that the exterior roof which collapsed was not part of the renovations carried out. A high-speed rail line was inaugurated between Novi Sad and Belgrade in March 2022.
