At least 13 dead and more than thirty injured when the roof of a train station collapsed in Serbia

Thirteen people have died behind him collapse from part of the structure of the ceiling in the Novi Sad railway stationthe second largest city in Serbia, reported the Minister of the Interior, Ivica Dacic.

More than 30 people were injuredincluding two women who were trapped under the rubble and who were freed by rescue teams five hours later. Three of the injured are in very serious condition.

The collapse of a cantilever over the entrance doors of the station, where several benches were located, occurred around noon.

The Government of Serbia decreed a day of national mourningwhile Novi Sad established three days.

The minister indicated in a first appearance that there were eight deaths and about two hours later he informed public television RTS that the fatalities had increased to 13.

“After the eight deaths, we detected another five people and we could not determine if they were alive or dead, but we did not announce it until they were rescued. Unfortunately, they were dead,” Dacic told reporters.

Nearly 80 specialists from various cities participate in the rescue and debris removal efforts.

The train stationHe is from Novi Sadbuilt in 1964, was renovated in 2021 and then was restored again this yearto be officially inaugurated on July 5.

The contractor in charge of the renovation was the Chinese state consortium CRIC&CCCC (“China Railway International Co. Ltd” and “China Communications Construction Company Ltd”), regional television N1 reported.