Rescue workers scoured piles of concrete and twisted metal for survivors on Friday after a roof collapsed at the entrance of a railway station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, killing 14 people.
The collapse of a 35-meter length of roofing occurred at noon local time (1100 GMT) on a sunny day in the city, about 70 kilometers northwest of the capital, Belgrade. Bodies were pulled from the rubble throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
Cranes and bulldozers helped sift through the wreckage alongside dozens of rescuers and construction workers, while medical staff and ambulances waited nearby. Two women who had been trapped under the rubble were freed in critical condition.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said he did not expect the death toll to rise significantly, though five of the victims have not yet been identified. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic demanded that those responsible for the tragedy be punished.
Train officials reported that a building reconstruction had been completed at the station this summer, but the part of the roof that collapsed had not been included in the project. Prime Minister Milos Vucevic stated that authorities would insist on identifying those responsible for the disaster, despite the station building dating back to 1964.
“This is a black Friday for all of Serbia and Novi Sad,” Vucevic said. The devastating roof collapse at the railway station has left the nation in mourning, as rescue efforts continued late into the night to search for any remaining survivors.
