Part of the canopy at Novi Sad railway station collapsed on Friday lunchtime. At least 13 people died and more than 30 were injured.

Numerous emergency teams, fire engines and two excavators are on site to remove the debris. The canopy was located above the station’s entrance doors.

The building was not renovated until 2021, and renovation work resumed a few months later. It was officially reopened on 5 July this year.

Structural changes as the cause of the collapse?

The contractor for the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station was the Chinese consortium CRIC&CCCC (China Railway International Co. Ltd and China Communications Construction Company Ltd). Serbian Railways Infrastructure stated that the canopy that collapsed at the entrance of the station was not part of the renovation of the station building as part of the high-speed train project between Novi Sad and Subotica.

Civil engineer Vladimir Tijanic told N1 that it is possible that structural changes were made during the work in the station building in Novi Sad, which could have led to the collapse of the canopy.

While the Serbian opposition is calling for the resignation of all city officials, the cause of the accident remains unknown, as does the responsibility.