At least 14 people have been killed after a concrete canopy at a railway station in northern Serbia collapsed, the country’s President Aleksandar Vučić said.

A young girl aged six or seven was among the dead, he added.

People were sitting on benches under the outdoor overhang at the station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second city, at the time of the collapse around noon local time (11:00 GMT), Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) reported.

Three people are in hospital. Among them are two women who were pulled alive from under the rubble a few hours after the collapse.

In an address to the nation, Mr Vučić said he hoped the number of dead would not rise beyond 14, adding that five of those killed had still not been identified.

“Those responsible, I assure you, will be punished,” he said, quoted by AFP.

Around 80 rescuers from all over the country are involved in the search, using heavy machinery, which is still ongoing.

The railway station building was renovated in 2021, and renovated again this year in order to be officially opened on 5 July.

Serbian media quoted Railway Infrastructure of Serbia, the body responsible for the concrete canopy, as saying it had not been reconstructed with the station. It was built in 1964.

Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said Friday was one of the most difficult days in Novi Sad’s post-war history.

“This is a great, terrible tragedy for Novi Sad and for all of Serbia,” he added, sending condolences to the families of the victims and thanking first responders.

The government declared Saturday as an official day of mourning.

Source:BBC