A collapsing roof has claimed the lives of at least 14 people at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the country’s President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in his address to the nation on Friday.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been established. The Serbian leader has stressed that all those responsible for the incident would be held to account.
The roof plummeted at around 12:00 noon local time (11:00 GMT) on Friday. Surveillance camera footage of the incident shows people moving in and out of the building and sitting on benches before the concrete canopy suddenly collapsed, burying them underneath.
Local media outlets have reported that 30 were injured. At least three were rescued and hospitalized with serious injuries, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday.
The government has declared Saturday a day of mourning for the victims of the incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to his Serbian counterpart.
Cleanup and rescue operation are underway.
Footage shows dozens of emergency workers and medical technicians on the scene, with police officers also patrolling the area. Cranes can be seen being used to clear the rubble and remove pieces of the collapsed roof.
The railway station building got a makeover in 2021 and again this year before its official reopening in July. According to Vucic, the station’s canopy, which was built in 1964, wasn’t affected by the recent renovations.