2024 disaster in Serbia
On 1 November 2024, the concrete canopy of the main railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia, collapsed onto the busy pavement below, killing 15 people and severely injuring two more. The station building was constructed in 1964, and was renovated from 2021 to mid-2024. The official cause of the collapse is still under investigation. 
The collapse spawned a series of mass protests in Novi Sad, which then spread throughout Serbia, fueled by dissatisfaction with other issues including government corruption and media censorship.
Background.
Station building.
The railway station was constructed in 1964. The building was structurally advanced for its period, bold, and relatively unusual. The roof, made from concrete slabs, is corrugated for rigidity and cantilevers over the main entrance. A suspended structure was affixed to this extending portion of the roof using steel tension elements. This structure mainly consisted of massive reinforced concrete beams that overhung the entrance to act as a canopy. The canopy also joined the building's front columns, which are covered by a glass curtain wall, but was primarily a suspended structure. The roof is intentionally slender, and its slabs are thin relative to the more massive structure they support. The structural design concept of this part of the building was not based around durability, as suspending a heavy part of the structure from its slender roof, while a functional solution within a given time-frame, made the structure inherently prone to concrete degradation and overall fatigue. Multiple experts suggested a service life of no more than 50 years for either the canopy or the particular materials that were used.
The station stood in its original form for 57 years, without substantial renovations, and by the early 2000s, it had become relatively decrepit and unhygienic, with some of its facilities and equipment out of operation.
Renovation.
By the early decades of the 21st century, Serbian rail was outdated and dilapidated. In 2013, stemming from China's Belt and Road Initiative, China, Hungary, and Serbia signed a memorandum of understanding to redevelop the Budapest–Belgrade railway by introducing high-speed rail, with the start of works originally scheduled for 2015. Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city, is one of the cities along this stretch of rail line. An upgrade of the city's station infrastructure and renovation of the station building began in 2021, according to the technical documents developed by the state-owned "Saobraćajni institut CIP", while construction supervision was given to the consortium of six engineering firms where Egis was supervising engineer, while Utiber (headquartered in Hungary with a bureau in Novi Sad) was at the head consortium.
The station is listed with the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Novi Sad as a "property enjoying prior protection" (a particular built heritage preservation status in Serbia). Thus, prior to the start of renovations, the Institute issued conservation guidelines, which required that the renovation of the canopy overhanging the main entrance preserve its visual identity, and did not address the topic of its reconstruction, as structural engineering was outside the purview of the Institute.
The station was renovated from 2021 to mid-2024. The project included a total reconstruction of the railway platforms, including the platform underpass and canopy, as well as renovations to the floors, walls, and the roof of the station building, including the replacement of the building's facade materials. According to CIP's technical document, the station building was "in good condition constructionally, and no damage affecting the stability of the structure [was] observed through visual inspection" prior to the start of works.
The work was completed by a consortium of the Chinese companies China Railway International Co., Ltd (a subsidiary of China Railway Group Limited) and China Communications Construction Company, Ltd. (together referred to as CRIC-CCCC). The station was initially ceremonially reopened in 2022, before that year's general election. Renovation work resumed after the election, and the station was reopened again on 5 July 2024.
In January 2024, the local news outlet Portal 021 requested contracts and invoices related to the renovation project from the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and Serbian Railways Infrastructure. This request was denied, as CRIC-CCCC objected to sharing contract details with third parties until the project's completion and confirmation of satisfactory work.
Both CRIC-CCCC and Serbian Railways Infrastructure, the state enterprise which operates the building, subsequently stated that the front-entrance canopy was not reconstructed during the renovations and that it was an original part of the structure. What work was done to it was merely a conservation treatment consistent with the Institute's guidelines, the official bodies stated.
Collapse and rescue.
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Fatalities
On 1 November 2024, at 11:52 CET, the station's concrete canopy collapsed onto people walking and sitting underneath. Fourteen people were killed on the scene of the accident, and three others were injured. The dead were Serbian citizens, except for one North Macedonian citizen.
About 80 rescuers from multiple cities across Serbia used heavy machinery, including excavators and cranes, to pull debris off the collapse site. Of the three victims who survived with injuries, two women were trapped under the rubble and were rescued several hours after the collapse. One of the women died 16 days later from the severity of her injuries. All three injured had undergone amputations and were in serious condition.
Aftermath.
Train departures at the station were suspended and the building closed for an undetermined period. All public rail traffic for Novi Sad from Subotica and Sombor was moved to Futog railway station, while traffic from Belgrade was moved to Petrovaradin railway station.
The Serbian government declared a nation-wide day of mourning for 2 November, while the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the City of Novi Sad declared three days of mourning in the city. Citizens lit candles and laid flowers at Freedom Square and in front of the railway station.
Investigation.
The Novi Sad Higher Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation. More than 40 people, including construction minister Goran Vesić, were subjected to questioning. At least 11 people were allegedly arrested or brought in to the prosecutor’s office by the police, including Vesić, who said that he had voluntarily surrendered. On 30 December 2024, Vesić and 12 others were formally indicted over the collapse.
Reactions.
Domestic.
Serbian Railways expressed regret over the disaster. Government ministers, Prime Minister of Serbia Miloš Vučević and Đurić visited the disaster site. President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić vowed "justice" for those responsible, while opposition parties accused authorities of corruption. The following day, Mayor of Novi Sad Milan Đurić stated that forensic investigators are examining the debris, that the cause of the disaster is unknown, that the investigation needs to conclude before any talk of resignations, that the rest of the structure appears to be in normal condition, and appealed to citizens to "trust the state and the system", adding that the individuals responsible will be held accountable.
After the collapse, many people on social media condemned the government for negligence. The main point of contention were claims by Serbian Railways Infrastructure that the canopy had not been reconstructed. Another point of controversy was the refusal of CRIC-CCCC to share documentation of the reconstruction publicly. On 3 November, protests were held in front of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure in Belgrade calling for the resignation and arrest of officials deemed responsible for the disaster. On 4 November, construction minister Goran Vesić announced his resignation, pending acknowledgement by the National Assembly, scheduled for the next day, while stating that he "does not accept guilt". On 5 November, protests over the disaster were held in front of the railway station and other locations in Novi Sad, leading to clashes with police and at least 12 people, ten of whom were police officers, being injured. Projectiles and red paint were thrown at the regional offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and later at the city hall. At least nine people were arrested, and the incident prompted a visit by President Vučić. Another protest was held in Belgrade on 11 November, while a silent protest was held in Novi Sad on 15 November, during which demonstrators blocked crossroads outside the railway station. On 19 November, protesters blockaded a courthouse in Novi Sad demanding the arrest of those responsible for the disaster and the release of people imprisoned during previous protests. On 20 November, foreign trade and former construction minister Tomislav Momirović announced his resignation. On 22 November, a 15-minute silence was observed by protesters across Serbia in memory of the 15 fatalities, along with traffic blockages.
On 25 November, scuffles broke out during a budget hearing in the National Assembly after opposition MPs displayed a banner reading “blood is on your hands" and demanded a discussion on the disaster while government MPs displayed another banner accusing their counterparts of wanting "war while Serbia wants to work".
On 11 December, after weeks of student-led protests, Vučić made concessions including promising that all prosecutorial documents related to the disaster would be publicized, announced that all currently held protestors were released, and pledged to pardon any protestors if they were convicted at trial. While the concessions marked the first time since Vučić's rise to power in 2012 that any concessions were made to protestors, they did not include the protest's calls for his resignation.
On 28 January 2025, Miloš Vučević resigned as prime minister amid the ongoing protests.
International.
Several officials from the European Union have sent their condolences, such as the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, EU Ambassador for Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Greece Christos Staikouras and the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Several other international officials have also sent their regards, such as the Members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Denis Bećirović (Bosniaks) and Željka Cvijanović (Serbs), Minister of Communication and Traffic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Forto, Minister of Communication and Traffic of Republika Srpska Nedeljko Čubrilović, the Ambassador of Japan in Serbia Akira Imamura, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić, Minister of Transport of Montenegro Maja Vukičević, Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia Kristin Melsom, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin.
The Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro declared a day of mourning for 2 and 3 November, respectively.
References.
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