(ANSA-AFP) - NOVI SAD, 01 NOV - At least 12 people were
killed Friday after part of an outdoor roof collapsed at a train
station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the interior minister
said. "The current number of bodies recovered is 12," Ivica
Dacic told public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia,
revising upwards an earlier toll of eight dead and warning of
other likely fatalities. "This number will not be final," the
minister added. The head of the city's Vojvodina Clinic, Vesna
Turkulov, earlier told reporters that three people who had been
pulled from the rubble were in a serious condition, two of whom
were undergoing operations. "The injuries are very severe," she
said. Earlier, the interior minister said rescuers were working
to free multiple people trapped beneath the wreckage of the
roof. Cranes and excavators worked alongside emergency
responders digging through the rubble to search for the
survivors, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. "The
operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. Over 80
rescuers are involved, with the assistance of heavy machinery,"
Dacic said Friday afternoon. The Serbian government said an
official day of mourning would be held on Saturday, according to
a statement published by the country's state broadcaster.
Serbia's Prime Minister Milos Vucevic vowed that authorities
would investigate the cause of the accident. "We will insist on
finding those responsible, those who should have ensured the
structure's safety. My condolences to the families of the
deceased," said the premier. "This is a black Friday for us, for
all of Serbia, for Novi Sad," he added. Serbia Railways said in
a statement that the collapsed roof had not been part of the
renovations completed at the station. "Serbia Railways regrets
the accident that occurred, and the causes and any new details
from the investigation will be promptly announced," the company
wrote in a social media post. A high-speed rail connection
between Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade opened in March 2022.
(ANSA-AFP).
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