At least 14 people, including a six-year-old girl, died when a recently renovated train station partially collapsed in Serbia today.
‘Death occurred on the spot’ when the concrete canopy outside Novi Sad station, in Serbia’s second city, fell on top of them, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.
CCTV footage shows people sat on benches and walking casually beneath it moments before the collapse around midday.
Three people buried beneath the rubble have been rescued, according to Dacic, who described the rescue operation as ‘extremely hard’.
One man had to have his legs amputated in hospital, where he and two other survivors pulled from the rubble are in critical condition.
They have since been taken to hospital in critical condition. One man has had to have his legs amputated.
So far they are the only known survivors to have been trapped in the collapse, which injured around 30 people.
The death toll is expected to rise, with more feared buried beneath the debris, according to Dacic, who said: ‘Personally I saw a body that we could not reach.’
Five of those already confirmed dead are yet to be identified.
Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who was mayor of the city from 2012 to 2022, said: ‘Today is one of the most difficult days in the post-war history of the city of Novi Sad. This is a great tragedy for Novi Sad and for all of Serbia.
‘On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, on my own behalf and on behalf of all citizens, I would like to express my condolences to the families of the elderly.
‘I thank the rescuers, policemen, doctors, technicians and nurses who are fighting for every life, and to save people under the ruins.
‘They are fighting a superhuman battle. This is Black Friday for all of Serbia and Novi Sad.’
Roughly 80 rescuers are using bulldozers and cranes to clear the debris from the collapsed roof, which was built in 1964.
The train station building has undergone two renovations in recent years – one in 2021, and again this summer. The canopy that collapsed was not part of the renovations.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the collapse.
President Aleksandar Vučić said promised to determine ‘political and criminal responsibility’.
Critics of the authoritarian president blame corruption for the disaster. Opposition members are planning a protest outside the station on Saturday.
In a statement, Serbian Railways said it ‘regrets the accident that occurred, and the causes and any new details from the investigation will be promptly announced’.
Departures have been halted at the station, which sees around 2,000,000 passengers each year.
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