16 Lives Lost in Novi Sad Train Station Collapse Mark Two Years

Thousands of young people and their supporters gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Sunday to mark the second anniversary of a train station collapse that killed 16 people. The memorial took place one week after a student-led movement voted out Aleksandar Vucic, the country’s long-serving leader, in parliamentary elections held the previous Sunday. Participants marched under steady rain in silence, a gesture of respect for the victims, and carried 16 red hearts and floral wreaths to the station building where the concrete canopy fell.

The concrete structure collapsed on November 1, 2024, at 11:52 a.m., crushing people waiting for trains on a sunny autumn day. Fourteen people died at the scene and two died later, while one young woman survived with life-altering injuries. Many in Serbia believe the disaster resulted from defective renovation work driven by corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects. The station renovation was part of a larger rail reconstruction project involving China and neighboring Hungary. Vucic and his ally, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, toured the remodeled station together in 2022.

An independent investigation by a group of experts concluded that the renovation work was accelerated by political orders. The report alleged a systematic degradation of building norms and stated that the state of Serbia violated the right to life of its citizens. Prior to the recent election results, 13 people had been accused in connection with the collapse, including a government minister, but no trials were held because the investigation stalled. The new student-led government has demanded a review of high-profile investigations, including this one. A student speaker at Sunday’s rally declared that the event was a murder requiring accountability and justice, promising that young Serbians would build a fairer society.

On the same day as the memorial, prosecutors ordered the 48-hour detention of Marko Kricak, the head of criminal police under Vucic’s administration. Another senior officer was also detained. Both are suspected of abuse of office in relation to an murder investigation. Kricak has been accused of orchestrating violence during student protests and personally threatening a female student with rape, charges he has denied. Andreas von Beckerath, the head of the EU mission in Serbia, wrote on social media that the collapse shook the country to its foundations and mobilized citizens to demand transparency. He added that the memory of the victims should inspire a Serbia built on solidarity and the rule of law.

Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, held power for 14 years, during which it gradually took control of state institutions. The student movement has promised to restore democracy and eradicate the rampant corruption that flourished under the previous government. Unlike last year’s anniversary, when Vucic was still in power, Sunday’s ceremony was broadcast on state television RTS. This followed the resignation of officials at the broadcaster after the elections. Similar memorial ceremonies were held in other cities and towns across Serbia. The movement has promised to hold those responsible for the disaster accountable, a goal many participants said they now believe is achievable.