Zagreb, 2 November 2025 (Hina/MIA) - A gathering in Novi Sad marking the anniversary of the railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people ended on Sunday night with the release of 16 lanterns and 16 minutes of silence.

Tens of thousands of people from across Serbia marched quietly to the station, where at 11:52 p.m., the time the canopy fell, they paid tribute to the victims.

Police estimated the turnout at about 39,000, while local media put the figure closer to 100,000, students and citizens who arrived from other parts of the country, some walking or cycling overnight on Friday.

The rally, one of the largest ever held in Serbia’s second-biggest city, passed without incident.

Dijana Hrka, the mother of Stefan, one of those killed, called on President Aleksandar Vučić to call elections and announced she would begin a hunger strike until those responsible were identified. “I need to know who killed my child, who killed 16 people,” she told the crowd gathered near the remains of the collapsed structure.

No one has yet been held legally accountable for the accident, which triggered anti-government protests that have continued for a year.

Vučić and other senior officials marked the anniversary separately at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade.

The government declared Nov. 1 a national day of mourning, after students and citizens demanded flags on public buildings be flown at half-mast in memory of the victims.