The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad announced the arrest of 11 individuals on November 21 in connection with the catastrophic collapse of a concrete canopy at Novi Sad’s railway station, which killed 15 people and seriously injured two others on November 1.
The railway station, originally built in 1964, had undergone two recent renovations by a consortium of companies from China, France, and Hungary. Among those detained are former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic and the ex-director of Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic. Both face charges related to public endangerment, irregular construction, and criminal acts against public security, carrying potential sentences of up to 12 years in prison.
The arrests follow widespread public protests accusing the government of corruption leading to substandard renovation work. Vesic, who resigned on November 4, denied responsibility but stated he had voluntarily cooperated with authorities. Additional resignations include Tomislav Momirovic, the trade minister and former head of the Construction Ministry, and Tanaskovic. Opposition figures have called for the case to be transferred to organized-crime prosecutors, expressing doubt over the impartiality of the investigation.
