Serbia marks two years since fatal Novi Sad railway station collapse

Serbia has marked the second anniversary of the railway station canopy collapse in the city of Novi Sad. Al Jazeera reported that the anniversary comes just one week after an election in which a student-led coalition defeated the most powerful politician in the country. [1]

The disaster occurred on 1 November 2024, when a concrete canopy at the main Novi Sad railway station collapsed onto a crowded pavement, killing 16 people and injuring another person. The station was originally built in 1964 and underwent renovations from 2021 until mid-2024, supported by China's Belt and Road Initiative. [2]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, a student movement named Student List challenged the ruling party after leading anti-government protests that began following the tragedy. The protests spread to 400 cities and towns by March 2025. Protesters expressed anger over government corruption and media censorship, while Aleksandar Vucic had served as Serbia's leader for 12 years. [2][4]

Official investigations into what caused the structure to collapse remained ongoing as of April 2026. [2]