Novi Sad mourns station collapse anniversary

Thousands of students and supporters gathered in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of a deadly train station disaster. The group convened in steady rain and silence to honor the 16 victims who died when a concrete canopy collapsed on November 1, 2024. This memorial comes one week after a student movement led by the same students toppled the government of Aleksandar Vucic in a parliamentary election.

Participants carried 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts to the station building, representing each victim. The names of the deceased, which included children, were inscribed on the tributes. Mourners laid flowers and lit candles while observing a moment of silence. Unlike the large crowds seen during the first anniversary, attendees this year expressed a sense of hope that those responsible for the tragedy will face punishment now that a new government is in place.

The collapse occurred at 11:52 a.m. on a sunny autumn day when the concrete structure at the outer front wall of the station fell without warning. Fourteen people died at the scene, and two others died later. One young woman survived the incident with life-changing injuries. The station renovation was part of a larger railway reconstruction project involving China and neighboring Hungary. Vucic and his ally, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, toured the renewed station in 2022.

Many Serbians believe the canopy failed due to flawed renovation work driven by corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects. An independent investigation by a group of experts concluded that the renovation work had been rushed under political orders. The report alleged a systematic degradation of construction standards and stated that the state of Serbia violated its citizens' right to life. Initially, authorities claimed the canopy had not been renovated and promised an investigation, which quickly sparked daily protests across the country at the time of the collapse.

The student movement, which eventually defeated Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party in last Sunday's election, has demanded a review of high-profile investigations, including the probe into the canopy. Thirteen people had been charged previously, including a government minister, but no trial was held as the investigation stalled. A student speaker at Sunday's event described the event as a murder that demanded accountability and justice, promising that Serbia's young people would build a more just society and that they would not forget the victims.

On the same day, prosecutors ordered a 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, Vucic's chief of criminal police, and another senior officer. They were detained on suspicion of abuse of office in connection with a murder investigation. Kricak was accused of orchestrating violence during student protests and personally threatening a female student with rape, though he has denied the allegations. The head of the European Union mission in Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, noted on social media that the collapse shook the country and moved citizens to demand transparency.

The anniversary memorial was broadcast by state RTS television, a change from the previous year when Vucic was in power. This shift followed resignations among officials at the TV station during the post-election week. Commemoration ceremonies were also held in other cities and towns throughout Serbia. The SNS party, which took office 14 years ago, had gradually taken control of all state institutions. The students' movement has promised to restore the rule of law and democracy and to root out the graft that flourished under the previous administration.