In brief
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad to commemorate the victims of last year's devastating railway station tragedy. The ceremony, marked by a moment of silence and floral tributes, reflects the continued grief and anger felt by families and friends. Protests led by students have sustained calls for accountability, demanding government transparency and actions against alleged corruption linked to the disaster. After an intensive year of mourning and unrest, the community stands united in remembering the lives lost while seeking justice.
Anger lingers in Serbia a year after train station tragedy
A sea of people flowed along the roads leading up to Novi Sad railway station. They came in their tens of thousands to remember the 16 people who died there this time last year, on another unseasonably warm and sunny autumn day.
The victims were standing or sitting underneath a concrete canopy at the recently-renovated facility, when it collapsed. The two youngest were just six years old, the oldest, 77.
Regular protests have rocked Serbia in the 12 months that have followed. But on Saturday morning, the huge crowd participated in an event that put the emphasis on quiet commemoration.
At 11:52 (10:52 GMT), the time of the disaster, they observed a silence for 16 minutes - one for each of the victims. Family members cried. One woman needed to be physically supported by men wearing the red berets of armed forces veterans.
After the silence, relatives laid flowers at the front of the station. The rubble of the collapsed canopy has been cleared away, but otherwise the building appears to have remained untouched since the disaster. Twisted metal protruding from the walls and broken glass still offer evidence of the catastrophe.
Novi Sad station was supposed to be a symbol of Serbia's progress, under President Aleksandar Vučić's Progressive Party. The country's second city would be a key stop on the high-speed railway line whipping passengers from Belgrade to Budapest in less than three hours.
However, following the disaster, the station now exemplifies the issues plaguing Serbia. For the government's flagship infrastructure project to prove deadly was more than many could bear. The community took to the streets carrying placards reading 'corruption kills'.
University students, taking charge of the protests, demand not only accountability but fresh elections, suggesting a technocratic government as a solution to eliminate the corruption they believe is rooted in the system.
In September, 13 people were charged in a criminal case over the collapse, including former Minister Goran Vesić. Yet, President Vučić has denied any corruption claims, though recent changes in his rhetoric towards the protestors indicate a shift in the political landscape as the cries for justice ring louder.
This day may have been about respect and remembrance, but the anger remains deeply embedded in the hearts of those affected.
