Three Arrested over New Year’s Party Incident at Belgrade Floating Nightclub Freestyler, Mayor Announces Controls  

Several minutes after the turn of the year, floating nightclub Freestyler started sinking into the Sava River (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the accident during a New Year’s Eve party in Belgrade when popular floating nightclub Freestyler started sinking into the river. Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic on Jan. 3 said that the city authorities would take charge of issuing permits to riverside rafts, which was now the job of the Belgrade Port Authority.    

Several minutes after the turn of the year, floating nightclub Freestyler started sinking into the Sava River, but the crowd was evacuated and no one suffered serious injuries. The number of guests was allegedly three times the raft’s rated capacity.  

The Interior Ministry on Jan. 2 said three “responsible persons” at floating nightclub Freestyler had been apprehended on suspicion of “committing a serious offence against general security and causing danger to public safety.” According to Belgrade media outlets, one of the arrested is the floating club’s owner, a Greek citizen.   

Speaking to TV Prva on Jan. 3, Sapic said that in the future, the city would be responsible for issuing permits to floating restaurants and clubs, which would authorize city inspections to control riverside rafts which they could not by the existsing regualtions.