People light candles for the victims after an outdoor roof collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad, Serbia, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
November 17, 2024 - 11:02 AM
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A young woman who was injured in a deadly roof collapse in Serbia this month has died, bringing the death toll to 15, doctors said on Sunday.
The concrete outer roof on a railway station building in the northern city of Novi Sad suddenly fell on Nov. 1, crashing on the people sitting or standing below. Initially 14 people died and three were severely injured.
The fatal incident has triggered a wave of protests against the populist authorities. Many in Serbia believe rampant corruption led to sloppy renovation work and consequently to the roof collapse.
The station was originally built in 1964 and renovated twice in recent years as part of a wider agreement with Chinese state companies.
Protesters in Novi Sad on Sunday blocked an intersection outside the railway station for several hours, saying they won't give up until those responsible for the tragedy are punished. Activists put up a huge poster of a bleeding white dove and red handprints — a message to the populist authorities that they have blood on their hands.
“People died because of corruption, because you (the government) are irresponsible, because you won't take responsibility,” actress and activist Jelena Stupljanin told the crowd, who chanted “jail” in response. “We will not be silenced.”
Protesters are also demanding the release of several activists who were detained at a previous rally in Novi Sad. That rally earlier this month turned violent after masked hooligans threw flares and rocks at the Novi Sad City Hall building. Opposition activists said the riots were staged to discredit peaceful protest marches.
The authorities have promised a thorough investigation and Serbia's construction minister has resigned but no one has been arrested and no charges have been raised.
News from © The Associated Press, 2024