Why people are protesting over a deadly roof collapse in Serbia
The deadly collapse of a concrete roof at a rail station in Serbia has raised tensions across the Balkan county
BELGRADE, Serbia — The deadly collapse of a concrete roof at a rail station in Serbia has raised tensions across the Balkan county, fueling widespread anger toward the government and protests after the failure claimed 15 lives in the northern city of Novi Sad.
The station, a major hub, was recently renovated as part of a Serbian-Chinese partnership. Critics allege that corruption, poor oversight and inadequate construction work contributed to the Nov. 1 tragedy. Officials have offered conflicting information about whether the roof was part of the renovation, and its maintenance is under scrutiny.
The collapse became a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with Serbia's authoritarian rule, reflecting growing public demands for transparency while the country undertakes large infrastructure projects, mostly with Chinese state companies.
Very little. The rail station was built in 1964 and renovated twice in recent years as part of a wider deal between China, Serbia and Hungary to establish a fast rail connection between Belgrade and Budapest.
Initially, authorities said the outer roof was not renovated during the work on the station, but they gave no explanation for why. Later, experts denied that, and images emerged that suggested at least some roof work was done after all.
One of the protesters' demands has been to make public all documentation in connection with the reconstruction project.
Authorities opened a probe immediately after the collapse, promising it would be thorough and would not spare anyone regardless of position. On Thursday, 11 people were detained.
The suspects, who have not been identified,
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