Serbian minister to resign over concrete canopy crash that killed 14 people

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia's building curate said Monday he was stepping down days aft a concrete canopy collapsed astatine a railway station, sidesplitting 14 group and severely injuring three.

Minister Goran Vesic announced his resignation astatine a hastily called property convention arsenic anger mounted successful nan Balkan country complete nan fatal illness that happened conscionable earlier noon connected Friday successful nan bluish metropolis of Novi Sad. Vesic's resignation needs to beryllium confirmed successful Serbia's parliament.

“I would for illustration to pass you that I will formally taxable my resignation tomorrow morning,” said Vesic. “Once nan parliament accepts it, I will nary longer execute this duty.”

Surveillance camera footage showed nan monolithic canopy connected nan outer wall of nan position building crashing down connected nan group sitting beneath connected benches aliases going successful and out.

The train position has been renovated doubly successful caller years. Critics of Serbia’s populist authorities attributed nan disaster to rampant corruption, a deficiency of transparency and sloppy activity during nan reconstruction. The renewal was portion of a wider woody pinch Chinese building companies.

Opposition parties person demanded nan resignation of apical officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, accusing them of being responsible for nan deadly accident. The guidance says Vesic is conscionable a scapegoat for nan existent culprits down nan tragedy.

Opposition groups scheme to clasp a rally connected Tuesday successful Novi Sad and much protests later if their demands are not met.

Vesic said that he does not judge immoderate guilt for nan deaths of nan victims.

“I cannot judge guilt for nan decease of 14 group because neither I, nor nan group who activity pinch me, carnivore moreover a shred of work for nan calamity that happened,'' he said. “I impulse nan authorities to find arsenic soon arsenic imaginable who was responsible for this tragedy.”

On Sunday, angry protesters successful nan capital, Belgrade, near reddish handprints connected authorities buildings, telling officials that “your hands are bloody.” (would it beryllium okay to opportunity “You person humor connected your hands”?)

The dormant included a 6-year-old girl. The 3 injured, who are betwixt 18 and 24 years old, each had to person limbs amputated. They were still successful superior information connected Monday without improvement, doctors said.

Populist officials person accused guidance parties of utilizing nan calamity for governmental gains while pledging accountability. President Vucic connected Monday promised those responsible will beryllium punished.

“I americium definite that nan authorities authorities will find criminal work for nan calamity that happened successful our country,” said Vucic.

Serbian prosecutors said they person already questioned much than 40 group — including Vesic — since opening nan probe connected Saturday. But critics judge that justness is improbable to beryllium served pinch nan populists successful patient power of nan judicial strategy and nan police.

Officials person insisted that nan canopy had not been portion of nan renewal work, suggesting this was nan logic why it collapsed but giving nary mentation for why it was not renovated.

The Novi Sad railway position was primitively built successful 1964, while nan renovated position was inaugurated by Vucic and his populist ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, complete 2 years agone arsenic a awesome stopover for a planned accelerated train statement betwixt Belgrade and Budapest.