At least eight people have been killed after part of an outdoor roof collapsed at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the country’s interior minister said.
“Eight bodies have been recovered, eight people have died … two people are in hospital, one of whom is in critical condition,” Ivica Dačić told reporters. The minister said rescuers were in contact with two people who were still trapped beneath the rubble.
“The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. Over 80 rescuers are involved, with the assistance of heavy machinery,” he added.
Footage posted on social media showed several ambulances and fire engines at the scene. Two excavators could also be seen digging through the pile of rubble. The blood transfusion institute in Novi Sad called on people to donate blood after the accident.
The station, in Serbia’s second-largest city,reopened in July after three years of renovation work. Construction work was still going on in parts of the station.
Serbia’s prime minister, Miloš Vučević, said authorities would investigate the cause of the accident. “We will insist on finding those responsible, those who should have ensured the structure’s safety. My condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said. “This is a black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad.”
Serbian Railways said in a statement that the outdoor roof that collapsed had not been part of the renovations completed at the station. “Serbian Railways regrets the accident that occurred, and the causes and any new details from the investigation will be promptly announced,” the company wrote in a social media post.
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A high-speed rail connection between Novi Sad and the capital, Belgrade, opened in March 2022.