At least 12 people were killed Friday after part of the outer roof collapsed at a train station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, the interior minister said.

“The current number of bodies recovered is 12,” Ivica Dacic told Serbia’s public broadcaster Radio Television, revising an earlier death toll of eight and warning of possible further deaths.

“This number will not be final,” the minister added.

The head of the city’s Vojvodina Clinic, Vesna Turkulov, previously told reporters that three people who were pulled from the rubble were in serious condition, two of them operational.

“The injuries are very serious,” she said.

Earlier, the interior minister said rescuers were working to free several people trapped under the roof wreckage.

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

“The operation is still ongoing and extremely challenging. More than 80 rescuers are involved, with the help of heavy machinery,” said Dacic on Friday afternoon.

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

The Institute of Blood Transfusion in Novi Sad also asked 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 underway in certain parts of the station.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic promised that the authorities would investigate the cause of the accident.

“We will insist on finding those responsible, those who should have ensured the safety of the structure. Condolences to the families of the deceased,” said the prime minister.

“This is a Black Friday for us, for all of Serbia, for Novi Sad,” he added.

Serbian Railways said in a statement that the collapsed roof was not 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 announced promptly,” the company wrote in a social media post.

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

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