The accident occurred at a train station in Novi Sad, 100 kilometers northwest of Belgrade, following repeated renovations within a broader agreement with Chinese construction firms. Critics blamed the shoddy work on widespread corruption and a lack of transparency.
“Goran Vesić is one of the people most responsible for massive corruption in construction, for the policy of secret contracts with investors, and this is now leaving behind human victims,” Radomir Lazović, co-chief of the opposition party Green-Left Front, said after the accident.
Despite the indictments, critics said the investigation failed to get to grips with the corruption that allegedly caused the tragedy.
“While the government tries to throw dust in the eyes of the people, key questions remain unanswered,” said former Novi Sad Mayor Boris Novaković in a post on X. “How is it possible that in the indictment there is not even a word about responsibility for the deaths of 15 people? Where are the traces of the corruption that costs us every day, not just money but also lives?”
The Novi Sad station lies on a planned 1,032-kilometer railway connection from Budapest, Hungary to Athens, Greece that is being built within China’s Belt and Road infrastructure drive. Despite the Nov. 1 casualties, Belgrade remains determined to see the project through.
“If we are all committed together, we will build a high-speed railway from Budapest through Belgrade, Skopje and Thessaloniki,” said PM Vučević. “So we will connect Central Europe with Greece, that is, with the Mediterranean part of Europe.”
