Serbia: Opposition Demands Urgent Review After Train Nearly Derails
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- A train nearly derailed near Zemun Polje, prompting calls for an urgent safety review of the track to Subotica.
- The opposition party SSP claims the incident highlights dangerous flaws by Chinese contractors and a failure in oversight.
- The SSP demands an international expert review of the track's safety, a drastic speed reduction, or a complete halt to operations until safety is guaranteed.
The near-derailment of the 'Soko' high-speed train near Zemun Polje is a stark warning that cannot be ignored. This incident, where the train almost left the rails, is not an isolated event but the latest in a series of alarming occurrences on this route, following two previous derailments. It serves as a final, critical reminder before a potentially catastrophic tragedy strikes.
Rulet na ลกinama
The passengers' experience of being thrown around inside the carriages at high speeds, coupled with violent shaking, points to serious and dangerous oversights by the Chinese contractors responsible for the construction. It is evident that the supervision of this project has been woefully inadequate, failing to ensure the safety standards expected for such critical infrastructure.
Dok Maฤarska ne puลกta svoj deo pruge jer ne ispunjava standarde, graฤani Srbije se voze u 'ruletu na ลกinama' samo da bi se vlast slikala na otvaranjima.
While Hungary rightly refuses to open its section of the railway due to unmet standards, Serbian citizens are being subjected to a dangerous gamble on the rails. This is happening solely for the current government to stage photo opportunities at openings, disregarding the very real risks. The Serbian Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) insists on an immediate, extraordinary review of all track certifications, with the involvement of international experts. Until such a review is completed, a drastic reduction in speed or a complete suspension of service is imperative.
Zahtevamo hitnu vanrednu reviziju svih atesta uz uฤeลกฤe meฤunarodnih eksperata, a do tada drastiฤno smanjenje brzine ili potpunu obustavu saobraฤaja.
We cannot allow corruption to claim more lives, as it tragically did in Novi Sad with the collapse of a canopy at the railway station, resulting in 16 fatalities. It is reckless and absurd to endanger the lives of thousands of passengers in crowded trains for the sake of political marketing and to conceal shoddy workmanship. Accountability for the safety of this railway must be established immediately, before our luck runs out and a preventable disaster occurs.
Ne sme se dozvoliti da korupcija ponovo uzme ลพrtve, kao ลกto je u Novom Sadu, kada je od pada nadstreลกnice na ลพelezniฤkoj stanici stradalo 16 osoba.
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.