Eight killed in train station roof collapse in Serbia | Construction news

At least two people were hospitalized with serious injuries after the incident in the city of Novi Sad.

At least eight people have been killed after a concrete roof collapsed over the entrance to a train station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad.

At least two other people were hospitalized with serious injuries on Friday, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.

The minister said rescuers were in contact with two people still trapped under the rubble.

“The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. More than 80 rescuers are involved, with the help of heavy machinery,” he added.

Ambulances and other emergency teams were sent to the downtown station and bulldozers removed rubble in search of survivors.

Surveillance camera footage showed people walking in and out of the building and sitting on benches on a clear, sunny day before the concrete canopy suddenly collapsed on them.

The station, in Serbia’s second-largest city, reopened in July after three years of renovation work. Construction work continued in parts of the station.

Dacic said the rescue operation was “extremely difficult” and would continue for at least several hours.

The Blood Transfusion Institute in Novi Sad called on residents to donate blood after the accident.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic promised that authorities would investigate the cause of the accident.

“We will insist on finding those responsible, those who should have guaranteed the safety of the structure. My condolences to the families of the deceased,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is a Black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad,” he added.

Serbian Railways said in a statement that the collapsed outer roof was not part of the station’s renovation work. It said the accident occurred at 11:50 a.m. local time (10:50 GMT).

“Serbian Railways regrets the accident that occurred and the causes and any new details from the investigation will be announced immediately,” the company wrote in a social media post.

According to local media, dozens of people may have been injured. The city mayor’s office acknowledged the incident but did not say how many were injured.

News channel N1 said the departure of trains from the station about 70 km northwest of the capital Belgrade was halted.