Dorcol: tram derails and hits a building, 15 injured

A Line 5 tram left the rails this morning around 9:30 at the corner of Cara Dusana and Knicaninova streets in Dorcol, and went on to hit a residential building. The accident left 15 people injured, two of them children who were taken to the University Children’s Clinic on Tirsova, while the remaining thirteen were treated at the Emergency Centre in Belgrade, the City Institute for Emergency Medical Services said.

Among the injured are two adult men in serious condition, aged 20 and 60, according to Emergency Services. Two children, aged two and sixteen, were admitted with minor injuries. GSP Belgrade confirmed that the tram driver is also among the injured and was taken to the Emergency Centre for observation.

Footage from the scene shows the front cabin of the vehicle effectively crushed after the impact with the ground floor of the building. According to the GSP union, the vehicle is a KT4-type tram that operates regularly on Line 5, running from Ustanicka to Block 45 through the city centre.

Traffic on Cara Dusana has been completely suspended until further notice, GSP said. Lines 2, 5 and 10, which usually run along that stretch, have been rerouted. Passengers are being moved by bus services until crews remove the wrecked vehicle and inspect the track infrastructure at the accident site.

Emergency Services deployed five vehicles and medical teams, while traffic police and fire-and-rescue units secured a wider perimeter around the building. An inspection of the building’s facade and ground floor is underway because of possible structural damage, which is why ground-floor residents cannot temporarily enter their homes.

What is the next step in the investigation?

Belgrade’s First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered an urgent technical inspection of the tram and a pre-criminal investigation against an unnamed person. The acting deputy prosecutor was at the scene and ordered an on-site investigation by traffic police, which is collecting witness statements and securing surveillance footage. The prosecution will determine the criminal qualification only after receiving the expert findings, the statement said.

Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, such findings may result in qualification for a serious offence against public traffic safety under Article 297 of the Criminal Code, carrying sentences ranging from six months to eight years in prison, depending on the consequences. A final assessment is given only after a report by a licensed traffic expert.

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