A concrete canopy at a railway station in northern Serbia fell, killing thirteen people, according to the country's Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, who added that the death toll could climb. People were seated on benches under the outdoor overhang at the station in Novi Sad, Serbia's second city, when the structure collapsed around noon local time (11:00 GMT), according to Radio Television of Serbia (RTS). Three persons are hospitalized. Among them are two women who were rescued from the rubble a few hours after the collapse.
The search involves approximately 80 rescuers from throughout the country using heavy machinery. The railway station building was refurbished in 2021 and again this year in preparation for its official opening on July 5. According to Serbian media, the concrete cover was not restored alongside the station. According to media reports, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević has stated that anyone found to be responsible for the canopy's maintenance since its construction in 1964 will be held accountable." This is a great, tragedy for Novi Sad and all of Serbia," he said, expressing condolences to the victims' families and applauding first responders. The administration proclaimed Saturday an official day of mourning.
He did not expect the death toll to climb significantly, stating that eight people died instantly on the scene, with another five bodies discovered in the hours that followed. A 35-metre (115-foot) piece of roofing collapsed about noon (11:00 GMT) on a beautiful day in the city, which is roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of the capital Belgrade. The corpses were recovered from the rubble throughout the afternoon and nighttime.
"We had our windows open because it was warm outdoors, and all I saw was a massive rumble and a column of dust. Vera, an 86-year-old woman who lives around 200 meters from the incident, told Reuters that she later learned what had happened. Ambulances and other rescue teams were deployed to the downtown station, where bulldozers were removing debris in search of survivors. Emergency personnel utilized two big diggers into the evening to help liberate two women trapped beneath the rubble. The women were in critical condition, according to Vesna Turkulov, the head of the Vojvodina hospital center where they were brought.
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