Tragedy at Novi Sad Railway Station: Corruption and Negligence That Led to the Canopy Collapse!
Have you heard about the disaster that happened on November 1st at the Novi Sad railway station? The collapse of the canopy due to corrupt negligence claimed the lives of 16 people, and one person was seriously injured! Yes, you read that right – 16 dead because of irresponsibility and recklessness.
Who is to blame?
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has filed charges against the head and members of the technical inspection commission. Slobodanka K., investment development manager at the Infrastructure of Serbian Railways, Milutin S., president of the technical inspection commission, and Biljana K., a commission member, are suspected of corrupt negligence that directly led to the canopy collapse.
How could the tragedy have been prevented?
The investigation showed that if these people had just conscientiously and responsibly done their job, they could have noticed signs of cracks and increased bending of the canopy days before the collapse. But they didn’t! They failed to conduct an extraordinary inspection and did not control the fulfillment of conditions during the trial operation. The result? 16 deaths and serious injuries.
Prosecutors pass the buck
The Supreme Public Prosecutor decided to transfer the case to the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office, believing they will conduct the proceedings more efficiently. The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade claims they have done their maximum and no longer handle this case.
Terrorism? Yes, you read that right!
Interestingly, the injured party, Đura Raca, submitted a statement as a citizen mentioning a criminal offense of terrorism related to this case. The Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office now has the task to proceed further with this case.
What’s next?
The Higher Court in Belgrade confirmed the indictment on March 4th, meaning the process has moved forward. But will justice be served? Will those responsible for this tragedy finally face consequences? Or will it all remain just on paper?
Conclusion
This tragedy is a bitter lesson about what happens when corruption and irresponsibility rule where law and care for people should prevail. 16 lives lost, and the question remains how many more such cases are waiting to surface.
Got thoughts on this? Know a similar story? Drop a comment below. Maybe together we can uncover more dark secrets!
