Press Interpreter

01/29/06 -- At least 66 people died and over 140 were injured in Saturday’s construction disaster in Katowice. An efficient search action ended after many hours on Sunday afternoon.

President Lech Kaczynski announced three days of national mourning.

At the moment of the disaster, on Saturday at 5.15 pm, between 500 and a thousand people were in the International Fair hall in Katowice for an exhibition of homing pigeons.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz went to the place of the tragedy. On Sunday, despite illness, President Lech Kaczynski went. The Minister of Health Zbigniew Religa and the Minister of Transport and Building Jerzy Polaczek were also there.

Condolences were offered to Poland from Prime Ministers and heads of many European countries, among others from the Presidents of Russia, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Condolences were also offered by the European Commission.

Funeral costs for the victims will be covered by the State. The President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Sejm, each reported 1 million zlotys. The Caritas of Slask diocese and Caritas Poland also promised to help.

In churches in Slask and all across the country, prayers were said for the souls of the victims. The Pope Benedict XVI also prayed for them. Church service was held in Echo camp in Divania, in Iraq, where Polish soldiers are located.

The collapse of the roof could have been caused by pressure from a 50-centimeter [almost 20 inches] thick layer of snow and ice.

Over 1300 people participated in the rescue mission: there were many medical teams, firefighters, the Police, and lifeguards. Specially trained rescue teams with dogs went to Katowice.

According to Ludwik Dorn, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, the action was coordinated exemplarily.

Over 140 people were injured, including 13 foreigners. Those dug out from under the rubble were taken to hospitals in Chorzow, Siemianowice Slaskie, and Sosnowiec. On Sunday evening there were still about 80 of them. Many suffered from head and spinal injuries.

During the search lifeguards used geophones – devices that detect living people. Later, places where they could possibly be were also searched by dogs. The biggest problem for people under the collapsed roof was the temperature – minus 15 degrees Celsius [5 degrees Fahrenheit].

Information about the first fatalities came on Sunday before 8 pm. All survivors were dug out by 10 pm. In the lifeguards’ opinion most of the fatalities were at the moment of the collapse.

In Katowice special telephone numbers were established to give information about victims and psychologists’ help was provided.

At presently, at the location of the tragedy, four Police investigation groups are at work, collecting, among others, documentation about the condition of the building and the exhibition of pigeons held there.

Reasons for the disaster will be examined by special governmental commission. The Council of Ministers will assemble on Monday. President Lech Kaczynski cancelled his visit to the Czech Republic, the Prime Minister cancelled his to Sweden, and the Speaker of the Sejm Marek Jurek cancelled his to the Vatican.

On Sunday, representatives of the administration of the Miedzynarodowe Targi Katowice [International Fair Katowice] company stated that documentation about snow clearance from the roof of the fair pavilion had been given to the prosecutor’s office

[…]

Most TV stations changed their program formats, abstained from showing commercials and provided systematic reporting on the course of the rescue action.

By PAP [Polish Press Agency], MD

-- Translated By Cezary Rogula

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