Volkswacht Bodensee - Death toll rises to 12 in Serbia train station roof collapse: minister

"The current number of bodies recovered is 12," Ivica Dacic told public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia, revising upwards an earlier toll of eight dead and warning of other likely fatalities.

"This number will not be final," the minister added.

The head of the city's Vojvodina Clinic, Vesna Turkulov, earlier told reporters that three people who had been pulled from the rubble were in a serious condition, two of whom were undergoing operations.

"The injuries are very severe," she said.

Earlier, the interior minister said rescuers were working to free multiple people trapped beneath the wreckage of the roof.

Cranes and excavators worked alongside emergency responders digging through the rubble to search for the survivors, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

"The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. Over 80 rescuers are involved, with the assistance of heavy machinery," Dacic said Friday afternoon.

The Serbian government said an official day of mourning would be held on Saturday, according to a statement published by the country's state broadcaster.

The Blood Transfusion Institute in Novi Sad also called on residents to donate blood following the accident.

Serving Serbia's second-largest city, the station reopened in July after three years of renovation work. Construction was still ongoing in parts of the station.

Serbia's Prime Minister Milos Vucevic vowed that authorities would investigate the cause of the accident.

"We will insist on finding those responsible, those who should have ensured the structure's safety. My condolences to the families of the deceased," said the premier.

"This is a black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad," he added.

Serbia Railways said in a statement that the collapsed roof had not been part of the renovations completed at the station.

"Serbia Railways regrets the accident that occurred, and the causes and any new details from the investigation will be promptly announced," the company wrote in a social media post.

A high-speed rail connection between Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade opened in March 2022.

T.Ziegler--VB