As they listened to the cries and pleas of those trapped beneath the debris of the Novi Sad Railway Station structure, rescue workers and individuals who rushed to help were on the verge of tears.

One woman, who was severely injured in the incident, called out for her child, while volunteers made every effort to encourage and comfort her as they worked to free her from the rubble.

“Please tell my daughter that Mommy loves her very much! I have a one-year-old child at home…” These heartbreaking words echoed from beneath the debris while rescuers struggled to extract her and provide urgent care after the tragedy at the Novi Sad Railway Station, which occurred around noon on Friday.

Trapped under a large concrete pillar, the woman pleaded with rescuers to convey her love to her daughter. After an extended effort, she was finally rescued but in critical condition, with her arms and legs nearly crushed. A post on TikTok that expressed the urgency of the situation stirred a wave of emotional responses in the comments.

These details about the horrific tragedy in Novi Sad were confirmed by Dragan Bjelić, a volunteer with the Serbian Search and Rescue Organization (OTSS).

“I was positioned to the left of the structure, where we negotiated with a woman trapped beneath the rubble. If you asked me what we told her, I couldn’t say honestly, but it was important to keep addressing her, to assure her, and to encourage her that we were there for her. She was disoriented and spoke about her family, sharing some heavy thoughts. All of this was emotionally impactful, but we did our best to remain composed. After some time, we managed to partially reach her, allowing paramedics to connect her to an IV to help sustain her during the extraction process,” Bjelić recounted.