Trade hall roof collapses in Poland
{{date|January 28, 2006}}

{{missing image|Image:TragediaKatowice06.jpg|right|thumb|Rescue workers at the scene}}
The roof of a trade hall in [[w:Metropolian Katowice|Metropolian Katowice]] (district [[w:Chorzów|Chorzów]] and [[w:Katowice|Katowice]]), [[w:Poland|Poland]] has collapsed. Officials said there are at least 67 fatalities and at least 160 people were injured. More than 125 people are still believed to be trapped inside the building. 

"Luckily nothing happened to me, but I saw a macabre scene, as people tried to break windows in order to get out. People were hitting the panes with chairs, but the windows were unbreakable. One of the panes finally broke, and they started to get out by the window," said survivor Franciszek Kowal.

Victims have been transported to hospitals in the mining area.

The trade hall was holding a pigeon exhibition [http://www.golab.mtk.katowice.pl/en_index.php] and the collapse is believed to have been caused by large amounts of snow on the roof. At least 500 people were believed to be inside when the roof collapsed.

Jaroslaw Wojtasik a spokeman for the Katowice fire brigade said, "the weight of snow likely caused the roof to cave in at about 5:30 p.m., less than two hours before the event was scheduled to close for the evening."
[[Image:Katowice_location_in_Poland.png|left|165px|thumb|Map highlighting Katowice, Poland.]]
"From our crisis centres, we have found there are about 20 fatalities. We don't know if foreigners are among them," said Andrzej Gąska, spokesman for the regional police department.

Rescuers are concerned that people trapped may die from hypothermia due to the freezing temperatures (currently about -15 degrees Celsius in [[w:Chorzów|Chorzów]] ).

People standing outisde the building were helping rescuers and those that were injured into emergency vehicles.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sister links ==
{{sisters
|Commons|Trade hall roof collapse in Katowice
}}
== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article341805.ece|title= Polish roof collapse kills at least 66|author=Vanessa Gera|pub=The Independent|date=January 29, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=73129904&p=73y3xzx6|title=Poland: 65 dead in roof collapse|author=|pub=IOL|date=January 29, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/01/28/international/i175314S91.DTL|title=At Least 26 Killed in Poland Roof Collapse|author=|pub=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1553125|title=At Least 26 Killed in Poland Roof Collapse|author=Krzysztof Kopacz|pub=ABC News (US)|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-28T225907Z_01_L28307781_RTRUKOC_0_UK-POLAND-COLLAPSE.xml|title=Twenty dead in Polish roof collapse, 100 trapped|author=|pub=Reuters|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1552787|title=Polish Roof Collapse Kills at Least 20|author=Krzysztof Kopacz|pub=ABC News (US)|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_international.asp?id=125724|title=Twelve dead in Polish roof collapse, 100 trapped|author=Janusz Chmielewski|pub=MetroNews.ca|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=105579|title=At least 12 dead in Poland roof collapse|author=|pub=TurkishPress.com|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-28T201656Z_01_L28307781_RTRUKOC_0_UK-POLAND-COLLAPSE.xml|title=Four dead in Polish roof collapse, 100 trapped|author=Janusz Chmielewski|pub=Reuters|date=January 28, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4658214.stm|title=Polish hall collapse 'traps many'|author=|pub=BBC News Online|date=28 January 2006}}

==See also==

* [http://www.golab.mtk.katowice.pl/en_index.php Official webpage the exhibition]
{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}
[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Poland]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]

[[de:Katowice: Dach der Messehalle eingestürzt]]
[[fr:Le toit d'un centre d'exposition s'effondre en Pologne]]
[[it:Crolla il tetto della fiera, 66 morti in Polonia]]
[[ja:ポーランド南部のホジュフで展示場の屋根崩落]]
[[pl:Katowice: Zawalił się dach hali targowej]]
[[sv:Många dödades då mässtak rasade i Polen]]
The roof of a trade hall in Metropolian Katowice (district Chorzów and Katowice), Poland has collapsed. Officials said there are at least 67 fatalities and at least 160 people were injured. More than 125 people are still believed to be trapped inside the building. 

"Luckily nothing happened to me, but I saw a macabre scene, as people tried to break windows in order to get out. People were hitting the panes with chairs, but the windows were unbreakable. One of the panes finally broke, and they started to get out by the window," said survivor Franciszek Kowal.

Victims have been transported to hospitals in the mining area.

The trade hall was holding a pigeon exhibition  and the collapse is believed to have been caused by large amounts of snow on the roof. At least 500 people were believed to be inside when the roof collapsed.

Jaroslaw Wojtasik a spokeman for the Katowice fire brigade said, "the weight of snow likely caused the roof to cave in at about 5:30 p.m., less than two hours before the event was scheduled to close for the evening."
Map highlighting Katowice, Poland.
"From our crisis centres, we have found there are about 20 fatalities. We don't know if foreigners are among them," said Andrzej Gąska, spokesman for the regional police department.

Rescuers are concerned that people trapped may die from hypothermia due to the freezing temperatures (currently about -15 degrees Celsius in Chorzów ).

People standing outisde the building were helping rescuers and those that were injured into emergency vehicles.


de:Katowice: Dach der Messehalle eingestürzt
fr:Le toit d'un centre d'exposition s'effondre en Pologne
it:Crolla il tetto della fiera, 66 morti in Polonia
ja:ポーランド南部のホジュフで展示場の屋根崩落
pl:Katowice: Zawalił się dach hali targowej
World Europe Poland Disasters and accidents