Lawmakers clashed in the Serbian parliament as they were accused of collapsing the roof of a train station that killed 15 people.

Clashes broke out between members of the ruling and opposition parties in Serbia’s parliament on Monday, after weeks of a fatal railway station roof collapse that created tension in the Balkan province.

The opposition wanted to discuss who caused the accident that killed 15 people at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad on November 1, while ruling officials, who have a majority in Serbia’s legislature, want to pass the bill next year. state budget.

The opposition displayed a banner depicting a red stamp that read “blood is on your hands,” while the ruling party responded with a banner accusing the opposition of seeking “war while Serbia wants to work.”

A scuffle broke out when both sides tried to grab each other’s banner.

The speaker of the Serbian parliament, Ana Brnabic, was quick to accuse the opposition parties of seeking to rule by force with help from outside.

“There is not the slightest doubt that these are well-organized, well-trained people, I believe that they have paid well, to create chaos in Serbia and destroy our country,” he said.

Independent Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that the “daily harassment” and “brutal behavior” of the opposition will not be tolerated.

“I want to reassure the citizens and tell them that we will respond to their disdain, contempt and arrogance with more work in the future.” he said. “Today, they tried to prevent pensioners from receiving their pension money, government employees from salary increases. They will not succeed.”

Opposition leader Dragan Djilas said the Speaker “shut down” parliament “by refusing to allow a debate on who caused the train station disaster.”

“He started there when he refused to include in the programs the request of more than 80 members of the opposition party to have a debate about trusting the government because of the killings and crimes in Novi Sad,” said Djilas.

The collapse of the concrete roof has sparked tensions in the Balkan region, fueling widespread anger at the government and protests.

The BBC reported that more than 20,000 people took to the streets and squares during one protest – the largest demonstration the city has seen in decades. Last week, prosecutors ordered the questioning of 11 people in connection with the tragedy, the BBC reported.

The former construction minister of Serbia is one of those arrested, according to the BBC. Goran Vesic resigned in the days following the fall, but denied any wrongdoing.

“I can’t accept the blame for the death,” he said, “because I, and the people I work with, don’t even have a single case of the tragedy that happened.”

The train station, which is a major hub, was recently renovated as part of Serbian-Chinese cooperation. Critics say corruption, misunderstandings and inadequate construction work contributed to the disaster.

The fallout has been the epicenter of widespread discontent with Serbia’s authoritarian rule, reflecting growing public demands for transparency as the country undertakes major infrastructure projects, particularly with Chinese state-owned companies.