He said a child, aged six or seven, was among the dead.
“I assure you that those responsible will be punished,” he said.
As night fell, residents of Novi Sad placed candles and flowers at an improvised memorial near the station.
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.
Three years of work
Cranes and excavators were 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.
“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 is 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.
