Serbian minister resigns over concrete roof crash that kills 14 people

BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia's construction minister said on Monday he would resign, days after a concrete roof collapsed at a train station, killing 14 people and seriously injuring three.

Minister Goran Vesic announced his resignation at a hastily called news conference as anger grew in the Balkan country over the deadly collapse that occurred just before noon on Friday in the northern city of Novi Sad. Vesic's resignation must be confirmed in the Serbian parliament.

“I would like to inform you that I will officially submit my resignation tomorrow morning,” Vesic said. “As soon as Parliament accepts it, I will no longer carry out this task.”

Surveillance camera footage showed the massive canopy on the outside wall of the station building collapsing onto people sitting on benches or walking in and out below.

The station has been renovated twice in recent years. Critics of Serbia's populist government attributed the disaster to rampant corruption, a lack of transparency and shoddy reconstruction work. The renovation was part of a broader deal with Chinese construction companies.

Opposition parties called for the resignation of senior officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, accusing them of being responsible for the fatal accident. The opposition says Vesic is just a scapegoat for the real culprits behind the tragedy.

Opposition groups plan to hold a rally in Novi Sad on Tuesday and hold more protests later if their demands are not met.

Vesic said he took no blame for the victims' deaths.

“I cannot accept the blame for the deaths of 14 people because neither I nor the people who work with me bear even the slightest hint of responsibility for the tragedy,” he said. “I call on the authorities to find out who is responsible for this tragedy as quickly as possible.”

On Sunday, angry protesters in the capital Belgrade left red handprints on government buildings and told officials: “You have blood on your hands.”

A six-year-old girl was among the dead. The three injured people, who are between 18 and 24 years old, had to have all their limbs amputated. They were still in serious condition with no improvement on Monday, doctors said.

Populist officials have accused opposition parties of exploiting the tragedy for political gain while also taking responsibility. President Vucic promised on Monday that those responsible will be punished.

“I am sure that the state authorities will determine criminal responsibility for the tragedy in our country,” Vucic said.

Serbian prosecutors said they had already questioned more than 40 people – including Vesic – since the investigation began on Saturday. But critics believe that justice can hardly be served when the populists have tight control over the judiciary and the police.

Officials insisted that the canopy was not part of the renovations and suggested that was the reason for the collapse, but gave no explanation as to why it was not renovated.

The Novi Sad train station was originally built in 1964, while the renovated station was inaugurated over two years ago by Vucic and his populist ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as a key stopover for a planned express train line between Belgrade and Budapest.