{"id":18170,"date":"2024-11-22T06:25:20","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T06:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18170"},"modified":"2024-11-22T06:25:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T06:25:20","slug":"fury-over-serbia-station-tragedy-prompts-first-arrests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18170","title":{"rendered":"Fury over Serbia station tragedy prompts first arrests"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Watch: Video shows aftermath of railway station roof collapse in Serbia<\/figcaption><\/p>\n
\n

After three weeks of protests demanding justice following the deadly collapse of part of the railway station in Serbia’s second city, arrests have begun.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors ordered the questioning of 11 people in connection with the disaster at the recently-renovated facility in Novi Sad. <\/p>\n

15 people died after a concrete and glass canopy fell on them at the start of the month.<\/p>\n

Novi Sad has been in a decidedly angry state of mourning ever since. <\/p>\n

More than 20,000 people took to its streets and squares during one demonstration \u2013 the biggest protest seen in the city for decades.<\/p>\n

Participants have been using the slogan \u201ccorruption kills\u201d. <\/p>\n

They claim the opaque procurement procedures the government has used for infrastructure projects have enriched a few favoured contractors while putting public safety at risk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Demonstrations have attracted as many as 20,000 people, angered by the authorities’ response to the tragedy<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Serbia’s former construction minister was among those arrested. <\/p>\n

Goran Vesic resigned in the days following the collapse of the canopy at the recently renovated station. But he denied any culpability.<\/p>\n

“I cannot accept guilt for the deaths,\u201d he said as he announced he was standing down, \u201cbecause I, and the people who work with me, have not an ounce of responsibility for the tragedy that occurred\u201d.<\/p>\n

It seems prosecutors may be taking a different view. They say they are investigating \u201ccriminal acts against public safety\u201d.<\/p>\n

Vesic, however, has been keen to portray himself as a co-operative witness, rather a suspected perpetrator.<\/p>\n

\u201cI voluntarily responded to the call of police officers with whom I came to Novi Sad and made myself available to the investigative authorities,\u201d he posted on social media.<\/p>\n

The arrests follow a televised address on Tuesday in which Serbia\u2019s president, Aleksandar Vucic, warned of consequences for those who were responsible for the disaster.<\/p>\n

\u201c15 people did not die because of their own fault, but because someone didn\u2019t do their job properly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The problem for President Vucic is that he has made himself very closely associated with Novi Sad railway station. It is a key stop on the government\u2019s flagship infrastructure project \u2013 the high-speed line from Belgrade to Budapest.<\/p>\n

Vucic inaugurated the station in 2022, alongside Hungary\u2019s prime minister, Viktor Orban. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our way to modern Europe \u2013 our way to a better, progressive Serbia,\u201d he told the BBC at the time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Protesters have daubed red point over images of President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, a former mayor of Novi Sad<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Reconstruction continued at the station even after the inauguration \u2013 and this summer there was another opening ceremony. <\/p>\n

There was heavy symbolism surrounding this month’s station disaster as well as a high cost in human lives.<\/p>\n

Serbia\u2019s opposition parties have been quick to attack President Vucic and his Progressive Party government, arguing that nepotism and a culture of impunity are behind the canopy collapse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe slogan of the people is that we are all below this canopy that\u2019s called Serbia \u2013 it can collapse wherever you are,\u201d says Biljana Djordjevic, co-leader of the Green-Left Front.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Progressive Party base their power on the claim that they are building the country \u2013 and that this increases living standards. If now people feel unsafe about this, then their policy is seen as invalid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The protesters are unlikely to be satisfied by today\u2019s arrests. <\/p>\n

They have consistently demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic \u2013 a former mayor of Novi Sad \u2013 and the current office-holder, Milan Djuric.<\/p>\n

If the judicial process can find quick and credible answers, that may calm the crowds. <\/p>\n

Otherwise, President Vucic and the government may be in for a bumpy ride.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Source: <\/em> www.bbc.com\u2026<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Watch: Video shows aftermath of railway station roof collapse in Serbia After three weeks of protests demanding justice following the deadly collapse of part of the railway station in Serbia’s second city, arrests have begun. Prosecutors ordered the questioning of 11 people in connection with the disaster at the recently-renovated facility in Novi Sad. 15 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18170\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}