BELGRADE (Reuters) – Hundreds of opposition activists gathered in Belgrade on Sunday to protest a fatal accident at a railway station in northern Serbia, which they attribute to negligence and corruption by authorities.
The incident occurred on Friday in the city of Novi Sad, located approximately 70 km (40 miles) northwest of Belgrade, when roofing along the station entrance collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 14 individuals and severe injuries to three others.
Protesters carried banners with slogans such as “The blood is on your hands” and “Corruption kills,” and chanted “Arrest (President Aleksandar) Vucic” as they marched past government buildings in the center of the Serbian capital.
A protester, Djordje Dimitrijevic, expressed collective anger, stating, “We are all shaken and furious … the state is directly responsible for this.”
Opposition politicians, activists, and rights groups in Serbia accuse the authorities aligned with Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party of pervasive corruption, connections with organized crime, nepotism, and bureaucratic inefficiency.
Vucic and his supporters reject these accusations.
Serbia’s Prime Minister, Milos Vucevic, stated on Sunday that authorities are investigating accountability for the disaster.
In a televised statement, Vucevic said, “Prosecution and police are working to establish criminal responsibility … (and) there is no avoidance of political responsibility.”
The Novi Sad station underwent renovations in 2021 and 2022, with additional minor work continuing until July of this year.
The prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad announced on Sunday that its investigators had interviewed 26 individuals concerning the accident, including Transportation Minister Goran Vesic, and secured pertinent documents. An additional 14 people have been summoned for questioning.
