Serbia Commemoration Marks Two Years Since Novi Sad Station Collapse
Thousands gathered in the rain to honor 16 victims, a week after student leaders defeated the ruling party in parliamentary elections.
By Yuki Kaminski ·
Thousands of people gathered in Novi Sad on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of a train station disaster that killed 16 people.
The concrete canopy at the northern city's railway hub collapsed on November 1, 2024. Authorities initially stated the structure had not been renovated, but an independent expert panel later found the work was rushed under political orders. The report alleged a systematic degradation of construction standards and said the state violated the right to life of its citizens.
The collapse triggered a student-led movement demanding accountability for corruption in state infrastructure projects. Many Serbians believe the failure resulted from negligence in a railway reconstruction initiative involving China and Hungary. Then Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had toured the renovated station in 2022.
The protest campaign culminated last Sunday when the Students' List defeated Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party in parliamentary elections. The new student-led government has demanded a review of high-profile investigations, including the stalled probe into the canopy collapse. Thirteen individuals, including a former government minister, were previously charged, but no trial occurred while the previous administration was in power.
Participants in Sunday's memorial marched in steady rain and silence. Unlike the first anniversary, which drew massive crowds while Vucic was still in charge, this year's event was broadcast by state television, RTS. This change followed resignations among officials at the station during the post-election week. Commemoration ceremonies were also held in other towns across Serbia.
The students placed 16 wreaths and 16 red hearts outside the station building, one for each victim. The names inscribed on the memorials included children. Attendees laid flowers, lit candles, and observed a moment of silence.
A student speaker addressed the crowd, stating that the event was a murder demanding justice. The student promised that young people in Serbia would build a more just society and that the victims would not be forgotten.
In related developments, prosecutors ordered the 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, Vucic's former chief of criminal police, and another senior officer on suspicion of abuse of office in a murder investigation. Kricak faces accusations of orchestrating violence during protests and threatening a female student, charges he has denied. Andreas von Beckerath, head of the EU mission in Serbia, wrote that the collapse shook the country and inspired a demand for transparency.
