60 dead in Polish expo hall collapse

CHORZOW – A roof collapsed at an exhibition hall in Poland packed with hundreds of people, killing at least 60, and officials said yesterday they feared the death toll could rise.

As temperatures plunged to minus 15 Celsius overnight, rescuers using floodlights battled through snow and debris to try to find survivors from Saturday’s disaster in the southern city of Chorzow. About 140 people were also injured when the metal roof of the modern building, the size of a soccer field, collapsed during a gathering of pigeon enthusiasts from across Europe.”I can confirm that 60 people have died and we are afraid that this might not be the final figure,” fire brigade spokesman Jaroslaw Wojtasik told Reuters.Officials said the dead included foreigners and identified one as a Belgian.Hospitals said five Germans, a Czech and a Belgian were injured.The fire brigade and police said the weight of snow on the roof caused the collapse, but the building’s manager told Polish television that snow had been regularly cleared from the roof.”We heard something snap like a match breaking and people started to panic right away, realising what was happening,” one unnamed witness told the TVN24 television station from hospital.”I started to run and something fell on me, others trampled over me and I was able to crawl out on hands and knees.”Dog rescue team head Jan Woloszyn told TVN24 yesterday: “Trained dogs have found no trace of life under the rubble.”Another rescue official, Leszek Suski, told a news conference: “With such a low temperature the chances of finding someone alive are slim but we still have hope.”We estimate that under the debris there still might be a dozen or even several dozens of people.”Earlier, some of those trapped under the wreckage used mobile phones to contact rescuers.TV pictures showed a man pinned under part of the roof asking for help.Rescuers blew hot air into the collapsed structure in hopes of helping survivors.Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz visited the site and said rescue operations would go on through the night.A day of national mourning would be called on Sunday, said Andrzej Urbanski, a senior aide to President Lech Kaczynski.- Nampa-ReutersAbout 140 people were also injured when the metal roof of the modern building, the size of a soccer field, collapsed during a gathering of pigeon enthusiasts from across Europe.”I can confirm that 60 people have died and we are afraid that this might not be the final figure,” fire brigade spokesman Jaroslaw Wojtasik told Reuters.Officials said the dead included foreigners and identified one as a Belgian.Hospitals said five Germans, a Czech and a Belgian were injured.The fire brigade and police said the weight of snow on the roof caused the collapse, but the building’s manager told Polish television that snow had been regularly cleared from the roof.”We heard something snap like a match breaking and people started to panic right away, realising what was happening,” one unnamed witness told the TVN24 television station from hospital.”I started to run and something fell on me, others trampled over me and I was able to crawl out on hands and knees.”Dog rescue team head Jan Woloszyn told TVN24 yesterday: “Trained dogs have found no trace of life under the rubble.”Another rescue official, Leszek Suski, told a news conference: “With such a low temperature the chances of finding someone alive are slim but we still have hope.”We estimate that under the debris there still might be a dozen or even several dozens of people.”Earlier, some of those trapped under the wreckage used mobile phones to contact rescuers.TV pictures showed a man pinned under part of the roof asking for help.Rescuers blew hot air into the collapsed structure in hopes of helping survivors.Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz visited the site and said rescue operations would go on through the night.A day of national mourning would be called on Sunday, said Andrzej Urbanski, a senior aide to President Lech Kaczynski.- Nampa-Reuters