Search For Survivors Concludes As 14 Lives Lost In Northern Serbia Canopy Collapse

An Orthodox icon and candles were placed at the scene of the tragic incident after a canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Friday, November 2, 2024. Serbian rescuers concluded their search for survivors on Saturday after recovering 14 bodies from beneath the rubble. The Serbian government declared a day of mourning and promised a comprehensive investigation into the roof’s collapse, which occurred while people were seated beneath it. Among the deceased was a 6-year-old girl and a citizen from North Macedonia, while three individuals sustained serious injuries. According to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, the injured victims were aged between 18 and 24 and remained in critical condition.

The train station has undergone renovations twice in recent years, leading critics of the government to attribute the disaster to corruption and inadequate work. Opposition members planned a protest in front of the station later that day. Officials have stated that the collapsed canopy was not part of the renovation, but Goran Vesic, the minister for construction and infrastructure, remarked that the tragedy could have been avoided if the canopy had also been renovated.

Dacic announced that approximately 20 individuals would be questioned during the investigation, including Vesic. Rescue efforts involved around 80 rescuers using heavy machinery to clear the substantial concrete debris that fell shortly before noon on Friday, continuing until late in the evening.

Residents of Novi Sad held a vigil for the victims at the site, lighting candles and responding to calls for blood donations. “This morning I drank my coffee in tears. It is hard this has happened in our city,” shared local resident Dragica Camber.

Surveillance footage captured the moments before the collapse, showing people entering and exiting the station and sitting on benches on a sunny day before the sudden disaster struck, causing windows in nearby buildings to shake. The railway station, including the canopy, was originally constructed in 1964, with renovation efforts carried out by Chinese companies. The renovated station was inaugurated over two years ago by President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a key stop for a proposed high-speed train line linking Belgrade and Budapest.