16th Victim Injured in Novi Sad Canopy Collapse Dies

(Patria) - Vukašin Crnčević, a young man injured in the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station, has succumbed to his injuries, the Military Medical Academy announced.

The deceased young man is the sixteenth victim of the tragedy that occurred on November 1 last year around noon.

Nineteen-year-old Vukašin Crnčević was initially treated at the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, and from January 28, treatment continued at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade.

A month after the tragedy in Novi Sad, Serbia was swept by a wave of student and citizen protests, with faculties and schools under blockade for months. The authorities stopped paying salaries, and the largest protest, with around 400,000 participants, was held on March 15 under the name "15 for 15" in Belgrade, which was interrupted when supporters of Aleksandar Vučić caused incidents. During the 15-minute silence honoring the victims in Novi Sad, the gathered crowd was exposed to an unpleasant sound that caused brief panic and participants fleeing.

The authorities continue to deny using a so-called "sound cannon" that night, and the incident has been reported to European Union institutions.

Students in blockade have called for the silence honoring those killed in the canopy collapse to be extended to 16 minutes.

Serbia's president said today he expects faculties to resume operations in April.

"For four months, our economy has been declining. For the first time, we have four months where 28 percent of tourists are canceling their entry into Serbia," Vučić said in a conversation with citizens in Žitorađa.