Top EU official says Serbia station disaster 'could have been avoided'

Belgrade: Top EU official Marta Kos said Wednesday that the Serbia train station tragedy could have been avoided as she paid her respects Wednesday...

Belgrade: Top EU official Marta Kos said Wednesday that the Serbia train station tragedy "could have been avoided" as she paid her respects Wednesday at the site of the disaster in Novi Sad.

The concrete canopy of the city's newly renovated station collapsed on November 1 killing 16 people, including two children.

The accident, widely blamed on corruption and poor oversight, sparked a wave of student-led protests which have rocked the country, leading to the resignation of the prime minister and the fall of his government.

Protesters have repeatedly condemned what they see as the EU's silence on the unrest, interpreting it as tacit support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"I came to Novi Sad to honour the 16 lives that were lost in a tragedy that could have been prevented," Kos, the EU's Commissioner for Enlargement, posted on X, with photos of her laying a wreath of white roses.