In Belgrade, activists protest against the train station disaster

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Hundreds of opposition activists gathered in Belgrade on Sunday to protest a deadly train station accident in northern Serbia that they blame on government negligence and corruption.

Friday’s disaster in the city of Novi Sad, about 70 km (40 miles) northwest of Belgrade, occurred when the roof at the station’s entrance suddenly collapsed, killing 14 people and seriously injuring three.

Protesters carrying banners reading “Blood on your hands” and “Corruption kills” and chanting “Arrest (President Aleksandar) Vucic” marched outside government buildings in the center of the Serbian capital.

“We are all shocked and furious… the state is directly responsible for this,” said protester Djordje Dimitrievic.

Serbian opposition politicians, activists and human rights groups accuse authorities loyal to Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party of rampant corruption, links to organized crime, cronyism and excessive bureaucracy.

Vucic and his allies deny such accusations.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said on Sunday that authorities were looking into who was responsible for the disaster.

“The prosecutor’s office and the police are working to establish criminal liability… (and) it is impossible to avoid political responsibility,” Vucevic said in a telecast.

The station in Novi Sad was reconstructed in 2021 and 2022. The rest of the minor work continued until July this year.

The city prosecutor’s office said on Sunday that its investigators had questioned 26 people in connection with the accident, including Transport Minister Goran Vesic, and obtained important documents. Another 14 people have been summoned for questioning, the department added.

(Reporting by Alexander Vasovich; Editing)