A concrete roof above the entrance of a railway station in northern Serbia collapsed on Friday, killing at least 13 people with more feared buried under the rubble.
Some were sitting on benches under the outdoor canopy overhanging the transport hub in Novi Sad at noon (11am GMT).
Interior minister Ivica Dacic said that three victims - two of them women - were pulled alive from the wreckage and hospitalised with serious injuries.
“When we had eight victims, we knew that there were five more people under the rubble for whom we could not establish whether they were alive or dead,” Dacic told reporters.
He said others did not show any signs of life at the scene in Serbia's second city.
“Death occurred on the spot,” Dacic added.
Ambulances and some 80 rescuers were dispatched to the downtown station as bulldozers were removed debris looking for survivors.
#BREAKING #Serbia JUST IN: Footage shows the moment the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, resulting in the deaths of eight people.
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President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, will soon arrive in Novi Sad; later, he will address the nation.https://t.co/pLXCoJIfCJ pic.twitter.com/DxsWWdj4Ws
CCTV footage showed commuters moving in and out of the building and sitting on benches on a bright, sunny day before the concrete canopy suddenly collapsed.
The railway station building was renovated in 2021 and again this year before officially opening in July.
Dacic said the rescue operation was “extremely hard” and that it would last for several more hours.
Serbia’s government declared tomorrow a day of mourning.
Residents of Novi Sad mourned by lighting candles across the street.
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said the “great, terrible tragedy” sas one of the most difficult days in Novi Sad's post-war history, adding: “This is a black Friday for us, for all of Serbia.”
Vučević warned anyone responsible for the maintenance of the canopy, which was built in 1964, would be held accountable, local media reported.
