Almost three weeks ago, a train station canopy collapsed in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. 15 people died. Now, according to a report, the construction minister, who has already resigned, has been arrested.
Almost three weeks after a train station canopy collapsed in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, authorities have arrested eleven people, including Construction Minister Goran Vesic, who resigned after the fatal accident. This was reported by Serbian state television RTS.
The public prosecutor's office in Novi Sad said those arrested were being investigated for serious threats to public safety. Seven of them were also charged with improperly carried out construction work. Penalties for the crimes mentioned are between two and twelve years.
The public prosecutor's office did not name any names and only published the initials of those arrested. However, state television RTS reported that among them were former minister Vesic, a high-ranking ministry official and two top officials from the Serbian railways.
Two people are still in mortal danger
On November 1st, the canopy of Novi Sad's main train station collapsed. The rubble had buried dozens of people. 15 of them died, two other people are still in danger of dying.
Novi Sad's main train station has been fundamentally rebuilt in recent years. Apparently the canopy was not renovated, the reasons for this are unclear.
The accident shocked Serbia and sparked protests in Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade. Today, for the third day in a row, demonstrators blocked the entrance to a Novi Sad courthouse that also houses the prosecutor's office.
