BELGRADE, Serbia –

Serbia has arrested 11 people in connection with a roof collapse at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad earlier this month that killed 15 people and seriously injured two others, prosecutors said on Thursday.

In the statement made by the Novi Sad High Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that the unidentified suspects were accused of criminal acts against public security, endangering the public and irregular construction works. They face up to 12 years in prison.

Serbian media reported that Goran Vesic, who resigned from the construction ministry following the collapse, was among those detained. Vesic said he came to X voluntarily.

The arrests followed a wave of protests over the tragedy, demanding that those responsible be brought to justice and punished. Many people in Serbia believe that the roof collapse was a result of corruption and lack of transparency, which led to sloppy work in the renovation of the station building.

Opposition politicians behind the protests stated that they were skeptical of the announced arrests and called for the case to be heard by organized crime prosecutors.

“They (prosecutors) avoided talking about people’s deaths and corruption, and these are very important,” said Borislav Novakovic, the former mayor of Novi Sad. “During the last 20 days, all suspects have been able to influence witnesses, tamper with evidence, and alter documents.”

Opposition lawmakers and other protesters clashed with police outside the courthouse in Novi Sad for the third day in a row on Wednesday; on charges related to the roof collapse and to demand the release of activists jailed at previous rallies.

Serbia’s authoritarian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday called opposition protests “terrorism” and “brutal violence caused by certain political factors.” “We will defeat the thugs and bullies… we are not afraid,” Vucic said.

The railway station building in Novi Sad was first built in 1964. It has been renewed twice in recent years as part of a broader infrastructure deal with Chinese state companies.

The giant roof collapsed on November 1. Initially, 14 people were killed and 3 others were seriously injured, but one of the injured died on Sunday.