Serbia’s minister of construction, transport and infrastructure, Goran Vesic, announced on November 4 that he will step down following a train station accident in Novi Sad that left 14 people dead and three others seriously injured.

The accident, which occurred on November 1, has fuelled widespread public anger and prompted protests demanding accountability from government officials.

Vesic, addressing an extraordinary press conference, said he would formally submit his resignation on November 5, citing a desire to demonstrate “moral responsibility”, but refusing to accept blame for the tragedy.

“As a responsible man, I want to set a personal example that in today's Serbia, there is moral accountability,” Vesic stated. He stressed that, while he is stepping down, he does not accept personal blame for the collapse, pointing out that the Ministry of Construction could not directly influence the quality, design or supervision of the station’s canopy project.

The deadly incident has sparked protests in the capital Belgrade, with hundreds taking to the streets on November 3, calling for greater government accountability and condemning perceived lapses in oversight of construction standards.

During the press conference, Vesic called for a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the accident, urging Serbia’s prosecutorial authorities to expedite the process.

“The public deserves to know who among the designers, contractors, supervisors, and investors failed to fulfil their duties, leading to the tragic loss of 14 innocent lives,” Vesic said.

He also provided a detailed timeline of the project’s documentation, noting that while certain stages of the design and reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station took place under his tenure, his ministry did not directly approve the final execution design.