Tens of thousands of Serbs are honoring the memory of the victims of the tragedy in Novi Sad today, where on November 1, 2024, the concrete canopy of the railway station collapsed, killing 16 people.
A river of people poured into the city's streets as thousands bowed, laid flowers and lit candles in front of the railway station's railings, with tears streaming down the faces of many.
"We are sad, there is no one to blame for this tragedy, how is it possible!" said 25-year-old Ivana Grbić, who arrived in Novi Sad last night on foot from the South Banat town of Vrsac.
"This year is the most tragic year in the recent history of Serbia, no one has been convicted and it is clear that the regime is trying to protect itself, but people are aware and will fight to ensure that the guilty are punished," Nikola Milicevic from the western Serbian town of Šabac told BTA.
At 11:52 a.m. local time (12:52 p.m. Bulgarian time), tens of thousands observed 16 minutes of silence in memory of the 16 victims. Due to the"summer" 22 degrees Celsius on November 1, the excitement and the huge crowd, several people fainted.
No one in Novi Sad was carrying the Serbian flag in their hands, as the government declared November 1 a Day of National Mourning and banned the flying of the national flag and ordered state and local institutions to lower it to half-mast.
In Novi Sad, citizens gathered in 16 locations to commemorate the 16 victims, and those who were unable to arrive in the city got out of their cars on the highway and stood in silence for 16 minutes.
Throughout the day, students, intellectuals, and relatives of the deceased delivered speeches at specially organized stands.
Water mains failed in parts of the city, and electricity was cut off at two of the faculties of the University of Novi Sad without explanation.
Places in hotels and restaurants were sold out yesterday, and many Serbs arrived in Novi Sad with their families and will remain in the city tomorrow.
There is a heavy police presence in the city throughout the day, including plainclothes Serbian Interior Ministry officers.
