Hundreds of people, mostly students and high school pupils, staged a two-hour protest in Sarajevo on Friday following a tram accident that killed a 23-year-old student and injured four others, local media reported.
The protest took place in front of the National Museum, near the site of the accident in which the student, identified by local media as Erdoan Morankić, was killed.
Four people were injured in the incident, one of them seriously. According to Sarajevo-based media, a 17-year-old girl had her leg amputated and remains in critical condition.
At the end of the rally, protesters chanted slogans including, “How long will the system keep killing our children?” Some carried banners reading, “How many modern trams could be bought instead of helicopters?”
Participants said they did not feel safe using public transport or walking in the city, particularly during adverse weather conditions, and called on the Sarajevo Canton government to immediately withdraw all old trams from service.
Organizers announced another protest at the same location on Saturday at 1500 local time, demanding accountability for what they described as a preventable tragedy.
The tram driver was arrested on Friday.
The Sarajevo Canton government declared Saturday a Day of Mourning, a decision local media said followed public pressure and numerous calls from citizens.