Residents in northern Serbia stopped traffic and stood in silence to commemorate the 14 victims of a railway roof collapse two weeks ago and demand accountability for the tragedy.
Dozens of protesters on Friday held a large black banner and blocked crossroads outside the central railway station in the city of Novi Sad, where the building’s outer roof suddenly crashed down on November 1, killing 14 people and injuring three.
Many in Serbia blamed the accident on rampant corruption that they said led to sloppy work on the station building renovation.
People light their mobile phones during a protest in Novi Sad, Serbia (Marko Drobnjakovic/AP)
The 60-year-old building was renovated twice in recent years and inaugurated by the Balkan nation’s top officials.
Authorities have promised a thorough investigation and the Serbian government’s construction minister has submitted his resignation.
But there have been no arrests and critics have accused the populist authorities of avoiding responsibility.
Thousands have attended protests in both Novi Sad and Belgrade in the past two weeks.
Many in Serbia are sceptical that anyone will be punished for the tragedy because the populist government holds a firm grip on both the police and judiciary.
Opposition legislators in Belgrade on Friday joined the silent protest by blocking traffic for 14 minutes outside the parliament building in the capital city.
In Novi Sad, a group of activists also released black balloons in the air symbolising the 14 victims.
A six-year-old girl was among those killed by the roof collapse.
The three injured people all had amputation surgery and remain in a life-threatening condition.