A 19-year old dies in Serbian hospital, the latest death in canopy fall that triggered mass protests
A 19-year old dies in Serbian hospital, the latest death in canopy fall that triggered mass protests
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A 19-year-old died on Friday in a hospital in Serbia, becoming the 16th fatality in the collapse of a concrete canopy at a train station last November. The tragedy triggered months of anti-corruption protests rattling Serbia’s populist government.
Vukasin Crncevic died more than four months after tons of concrete crashed down on Nov. 1 without warning on him and other people outside the central train station in the northern city of Novi Sad.
Many in Serbia believe the deadly crash was the result of poor renovation work on the station building which resulted from rampant government corruptio n, negligence and disrespect of the safety regulations.
Months-long protests demanding accountability over the crash have drawn hundreds of thousands of people. Daily protests and blockades have up to now included 15-minute silence for those who had died in the disaster.
Silent traffic blockades were held on a number of different locations in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, as well as the city of Novi Sad and other cities on Friday.
Also Friday, Serbia’s autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic announced plans to organize counter-rallies, which could further escalate tensions and potentially cause clashes between groups of protesters.
Vucic has accused the protesters of “terrorizing” people in Serbia and of violence, although the anti-graft protests — which are led by university students — have been largely peaceful.
The latest rally in Belgrade last weekend was among the biggest ever held in the Balkan country, which has a long record of anti-government demonstrations. The populist authorities have faced accusations of using a sonic cannon against the protesters during the commemorative silence on Saturday evening, which Vucic and other government officials have denied.
Initially, 14 people died and three were injured in the Novi Sad station crash. Belgrade’s military hospital, which was treating him, said that Crncevic died due to “complex injuries” and “ensuing complications.”
