MEMBERS of the family that lost three members in the tragedy in Novi Sad: five-year-old Sara, nine-year-old Valentina and their grandfather, fifty-three-year-old Đorđe, spoke in the show “When Sorrow Speaks” on TV Prva.
– I still act like they are there, I don’t want to accept that. It is something that no mother, no person should have to go through. The house is so empty… I died that day as a person with my children, this is now just survival – says Danijela Karanović, the mother of the injured girls. – I was proud of my children, even though they were so young, they were so mature and responsible. I always taught them to look out for each other. In the last couple of days, they played so nicely, that I was simply amazed that they never had a fight.
Valerija Božić, the grandmother of the injured girls, says that she misses her children terribly.
– I was constantly teaching Tina to cook, she was constantly baking, cooking, I was angry that she was dirtying the dishes, and now I would give anything to have her here. I’m sorry, and so was their grandfather, he was a good man, they loved him, he’s there with him, at least they’re not alone – added the grandmother.
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Dragoslav Firić, the other grandfather of the girls, says that the grandfather who died with them talked about the children every day.
– He was an exceptional man. He never resented anyone. The last time I saw him was on the day of the tragedy. He came to the company, took some money, told me he was going to take his grandchildren…
Remembering the day when the tragedy happened, the girls’ mother says that she went to work, and the girls remained asleep. the girl’s grandmother says that the uncle came to pick them up around ten, that she saw them off and that they wanted to go to Loznica that weekend, where the fame was.
– I had a premonition, but I kept saying: Don’t let them go anywhere, let them get healthy this weekend, then they’re just about to start school, but they wanted to go so much.
The girls’ mother says that even today she wonders if she would have been able to save them if she had told them to stay at home and not go out that day.
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– No one expected that. I blamed myself for letting them go that day, my mom for packing them, his mom for calling them to come at all. More painful than anything is my Sara, the youngest daughter, we came the evening before and she asked me: “Mom, who is going to die tomorrow”. I’ll never get it out of my head. If I had listened to her then. I told her: “Please, my love, don’t do such stupid things, no one will die”. She continued to play. Out of sheer calm, she approached me, hugged me. I was wondering if she was dreaming. I don’t know… That can never be forgotten. That day goes through my mind every day… As a mother, I had to have some feeling that something was not going to be right, but I had nothing.
About the day when the tragedy happened
The girl’s grandfather says that he was across the street from the railway station at the time of the tragedy.
– We were in the bank across the street, we heard that the canopy had fallen. At that moment we didn’t know what it was, I saw the firemen and the police. Someone said that part of the train station had fallen.
The girl’s mother recalled that her boss was told by a woman that the canopy had collapsed and that she heard it from him.
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– I immediately left everything and hoping that they weren’t there… They were standing there to wait for the bus and great-grandfather and at that moment, that’s what happened… I was hoping all the time, I don’t know how many times I was my child called. I prayed to God that she had lost her phone, so that she wouldn’t call me. I called his father, he didn’t answer me either, which was strange because he always does. Around two o’clock they told us to go to the emergency room for identification, my ex-husband was already there, he saved me, I wasn’t upstairs… This is something that no mother should experience. He saw when he was going down, I just saw that he started to cry… I asked him if it wasn’t them, and he continued to cry. I don’t remember anything after that until the funeral. I vaguely remember a mother who came to identify her son. I don’t remember anything after that.
About the protests
The girl’s grandfather added that citizens lit candles at the station, which meant something to them as a family.
– On the first evening, our citizens paid their respects, they lit candles at the station, and that meant a lot to us as a family – said the girl’s grandfather in the program on TV Prava.
Jelena, the aunt of the injured girls, recalled the days of mourning and described what happened next:
– On the third, I saw that one side was calling for protests. We had no peace that day either. The day of the funeral as well. We buried them today, and already in the afternoon there was chaos in the city.
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The girl’s mother, talking about the protests, says that she tries not to watch it anymore:
– I try not to watch it anymore, I just wanted to mourn my children in peace, but they wouldn’t let me.
As the grandfather added, they celebrated their birthday at the protests, and they called on their children.
– The very next day, I have to mention, I think her name is Mrs. Mila, when they were celebrating their birthday on the bridge in Novi Sad, and they were referring to our children. They falsely sympathize, it is only important for them to score some political point.
The girl’s aunt says that they never once asked how the families are and whether it makes it easier or harder for them.
– I don’t support that. Every day is difficult for us, it was even worse for us to watch it all. Unfortunately, we felt it on our own skin and they cannot grieve more than us. If we thought it was right, I guess they would come out – said the aunt.
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The girl’s mother says she does not want protests to be organized on behalf of her children:
– When I look at these protests now, I really don’t want people to fight, I don’t want incidents, I don’t want it, my children wouldn’t either, therefore I really don’t want it to be done in their name – said the girl’s mother Danijela Karanović.
Speaking about the protest, the girl’s mother says:
– I try not to watch it, I just wanted to mourn my children in peace, but they didn’t allow it. When I look at these protests now, I really don’t want all that, I don’t want people to fight, incidents, I wouldn’t want my children either, I don’t want it to be done in their name – she said in the show “When Sorrow Speaks” on TV Prva.
The girl’s mother adds that if someone has words of support, they can express it, but that is not the way.
– I keep coming back to that day, watching videos on TikTok, I don’t want people to fight in the streets because of our tragedy, politics should be politics, my children are my children, if they have words of support, they can say it, but not in that way really.
The aunt of the injured children says that she does not support the protests, and appeals to everyone to stop and think about the pain they are causing to the families.
– Just let them stop, for a minute, let them think about what they are doing and what they are doing to those families, what pain they are causing them by constantly remembering them on that day, because it is constantly implied that the cause is a tragedy, and then we see various parties at colleges, on the bridge and that a few days after the tragedy. If we go out on the basis of a tragedy, then we don’t sing, that’s how we don’t pay tribute and sympathy – said the aunt of the injured girls.
Vučić came to express his condolences, nobody from the opposition
– We do not support protests. We are grateful to our mayor and our president and they were really with us from the first moment – said the girl’s grandfather.
The mother of five-year-old Sara and nine-year-old Valentina said that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was there for them from the first moment:
– I would really like to thank the president and the mayor for being with us from the first moment. We were met with comments that we sold ourselves for some money, I don’t even have my damned salary to spend it on, and at least they came, expressed their condolences, talked to us, were there.
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The girl’s grandfather, in the same show, said that no one from the opposition came to offer condolences.
– They are the people who helped, they are there with us. Why didn’t someone from the opposition come to us? The only one who sent us a message of condolence was Mr. Tadić. None of the other opposition.
The girl’s aunt confirmed his words:
– They were with us from the first day, they were there the day they told us they were there and to give us some words of comfort, which meant something to us. He (Vučić) appeared, and on the other side, no one, but no one.
About the Pogačar attack on the girls’ grandfather
The girl’s aunt recalled the situation that happened in front of “Čistoća” in Novi Sad when Miran Pogačar attacked his grandfather and he had the opportunity to express his condolences, which he did not do.
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– I was getting ready to go home. A colleague came and said that my daughter was arguing with someone, I went and saw that Mr. Pogačar had come, to push security, to enter the company, so that I could ask who are you? I felt so bad after that question, I am Dragoslav Firić and I lost my family. I experienced a tragedy myself. I also lost my brother and two granddaughters, so that one of them would say that they are not interested in who I am.
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He added that he turned around and saw that they had taken their phones and were asking for the children’s names.
– I came back and asked “have you seen the names of the children?”, to which I said that their names are Valentina and Sara, that they are not ashamed. In their name, you invite yourself to wreak havoc. That day, I came home, I was so sick… – said the grandfather through tears.
The girls’ mother’s appeal
– They wondered where the mother was. I didn’t have the strength to make a statement, but if I could say something, I would say that they stop involving that tragedy for political purposes. I just want my children to rest in peace and that I, as a mother, can mourn them in peace, I don’t know, I don’t know what I would do – said the girl’s mother in the show “When sadness speaks” on TV Prva.
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Source: www.novosti.rs
