The accident occurred at a train station in Novi Sad, 100 kilometers northwest of Belgrade, which was undergoing a series of renovations under an extensive agreement with a Chinese construction company. Critics blamed the shoddy work on widespread corruption and a lack of transparency.
“Goran Besic is one of the people most responsible for large-scale corruption in the construction industry and a policy of secret contracts with investors, which is now leaving a human toll,” the opposition green party said. Radomir Lazovic, co-chair of the Left Front, said after the accident.
Despite the indictments, critics said the investigation failed to uncover the alleged corruption that led to the tragedy.
“The government is trying to throw garbage in the eyes of the people, but important questions remain unanswered,” former Novi Sad mayor Boris Novakovic said in a post on X. Who is responsible for the deaths of 15 people? Where are the traces of the corruption that costs us every day not only money but also lives? ”
Novi Sad Station is part of a planned 1,032-kilometre rail link from Budapest, Hungary to Athens, Greece, which is under construction as part of China’s Belt and Road Infrastructure Plan. Despite the casualties on November 1, Belgrade remains determined to see the project through to its conclusion.
“If we all work together, we can build a high-speed railway from Budapest to Belgrade, Skopje and Thessaloniki,” Prime Minister Vucevic said. “We are therefore linking Central Europe with Greece, the Mediterranean region of Europe.”
