Serbia arrests former minister in Novi Sad station collapse probe
Serbia has arrested 11 people, including former construction minister Goran Vesić, in a widening investigation into the collapse of Novi Sad’s railway station roof that killed 15 people earlier this month. The arrests, reported by DW, come after weeks of anger over the disaster and growing pressure on officials to accept responsibility.
The collapse happened on November 1, when a hanging section of the roof at the station crumbled and fell on bystanders in Serbia’s second-largest city. Two others were severely injured. The station had been under renovation on and off for 11 years, with a consortium of Chinese, French and Hungarian companies involved in the work. That long timeline has made the accident a symbol of state negligence and broken accountability.
The political fallout was immediate. Vesić resigned three days after the collapse and denied wrongdoing, saying later that he had voluntarily responded to police. Trade Minister Tomislav Momirović, who had been construction minister when work on the station began, also stepped down after protests intensified. The lack of early arrests or apologies angered many citizens and helped fuel demonstrations that drew tens of thousands into the streets.
DW reported that prosecutors had started questioning the suspects but had not officially identified them. At the same time, residents across Serbia blocked traffic and held silence commemorations for the dead, underlining how the tragedy has become both a legal case and a national political crisis. Protesters wanted more than arrests; they demanded resignations from the mayor of Novi Sad and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic as well.
President Aleksandar Vucic, however, signaled on national television that there would be no more resignations, even as prosecutors continued their work. He argued that several resignations had already taken place and said any further arrests were a matter for the prosecutor’s office. That statement suggests the government is trying to contain the political damage while leaving the criminal inquiry to run its course.
The arrests matter because they show the pressure from the street has begun to translate into formal action. But they also come after weeks in which many Serbians felt the response was too slow and too limited. The station disaster has therefore become a test of whether the authorities can investigate a fatal public works collapse credibly while facing a public that no longer trusts assurances alone.
For the families of the dead, the legal process may finally be moving. For Serbia’s political leadership, the harder question is whether these arrests are enough to calm the public or simply the first step in a much bigger reckoning.
