Serbian minister to resign over concrete canopy crash that killed 14 people

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia's construction minister said Monday he was stepping down days after a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station, killing 14 people and severely injuring three.

Minister Goran Vesic announced his resignation at a hastily called press conference as anger mounted in the Balkan country over the fatal collapse that happened just before noon on Friday in the northern city of Novi Sad. Vesic's resignation needs to be confirmed in Serbia's parliament.

“I would like to inform you that I will formally submit my resignation tomorrow morning,” said Vesic. “Once the parliament accepts it, I will no longer perform this duty.”

Surveillance camera footage showed the massive canopy on the outer wall of the station building crashing down on the people sitting below on benches or going in and out.

The train 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 sloppy work during the reconstruction. The renovation was part of a wider deal with Chinese construction companies.

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

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

Vesic said that he does not accept any guilt for the deaths of the victims.

“I cannot accept guilt for the death of 14 people because neither I, nor the people who work with me, bear even a shred of responsibility for the tragedy that happened,'' he said. “I urge the authorities to determine as soon as possible who was responsible for this tragedy.”

On Sunday, angry protesters in the capital, Belgrade, left red handprints on government buildings, telling officials that “your hands are bloody.” (would it be okay to say “You have blood on your hands”?)

The dead included a 6-year-old girl. The three injured, who are between 18 and 24 years old, all had to have limbs amputated. They were still in serious condition on Monday without improvement, doctors said.

Populist officials have accused opposition parties of using the tragedy for political gains while pledging accountability. President Vucic on Monday promised those responsible will be punished.

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

Serbian prosecutors said they have already questioned more than 40 people — including Vesic — since opening the probe on Saturday. But critics believe that justice is unlikely to be served with the populists in firm control of the judicial system and the police.

Officials have insisted that the canopy had not been part of the renovation work, suggesting this was the reason why it collapsed but giving no explanation for why it was not renovated.

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