Serbia Marks Two Years Since Novi Sad Station Collapse: Crowds Mourn 16 Victims in the Rain
Crowds gathered in the rain at the railway station in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, on November 1 to mark two years since a concrete canopy collapsed at the station, killing 16 people, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The AP said thousands of students and supporters marched to the station in steady rain, while Reuters put the crowd at the station in the tens of thousands. Students carried 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts, one for each victim, inscribed with the victims' names, which included children. Mourners observed 16 minutes of silence and laid flowers and candles.
At 11:52 a.m. on November 1, 2024, the huge concrete canopy on the station's outer front wall crashed down without warning onto people waiting for trains, killing 14 people at the scene and two more later; a young woman survived with life-changing injuries. The station had recently been renovated as part of a wider railway reconstruction project pursued by Serbia with China and Hungary.
Many Serbs believe the collapse resulted from corruption and negligence in the renovation work. Prosecutors have indicted 13 people, including a former government minister, but no trial has begun and the investigation has stalled. The demand for accountability launched two years of student-led protests that forced a construction minister's resignation, a government reshuffle and snap elections, and the student-backed Student List defeated the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in the October 25 parliamentary election. Since the election, the students have demanded a review of high-profile investigations, including the probe into the canopy collapse.
Also on Sunday, prosecutors ordered a 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, former president Aleksandar Vucic's chief of criminal police, along with another senior officer, on suspicion of abuse of office in connection with a murder investigation, the AP reported. Kricak was accused of orchestrating violence during the student protests and of threatening a female student with rape, allegations he has denied.
Andreas von Beckerath, head of the European Union mission in Serbia, wrote on X that the canopy collapse “shook Serbia to its core and moved citizens across the country to demand transparency and accountability.” Unlike last year, Sunday's memorial was broadcast by state RTS television, and commemoration ceremonies were also held in other Serbian cities and towns.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Novi Sad火车站主入口（2024年8月翻修完工后拍摄，雨棚坍塌事故发生前）。ArhistefoBL 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The main entrance of Novi Sad railway station in August 2024, after its renovation and before the canopy collapse. By ArhistefoBL, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-11-01Serbia Marks Two Years Since Novi Sad Station Collapse: Crowds Mourn 16 Victims in the RainThis story
