NOVI SAD, Serbia: At least eight people were killed on Friday after portion of an outdoor roof collapsed at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, said the interior minister.
“Eight bodies have been recovered, eight people have died… two people are in hospital, one of whom is in critical condition,” interior minister Ivica Dacic told reporters.
“The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. Over 80 rescuers are involved, with the assistance of heavy machinery,” he added.
Meanwhile Prime Minister of Serbia Milos Vucevic said that authorities would investigate the cause of the accident.
Several ambulances and fire engines can be seen outside the train station in a footage posted on social media, while two excavators could also be seen digging through the pile of rubble.
“There are injured people,” Zoran Krulj, a spokesperson for Novi Sad Emergency Services, told media without giving an exact figure.
There was no immediate confirmation of any deaths caused by the roof collapse. Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric and Serbia’s construction minister Goran Vesic also arrived at the station.
It is pertinent to mention that the Novi Sad Railway Station reopened in July after three years of renovation work. Construction work was still ongoing in some areas of the station.
A high-speed rail connection between Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade launched in March 2022.
