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List of disasters in Poland by death toll

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Listed below are the worst disasters in Poland's history, listed by death toll. This list excludes warfare, the Holocaust and intentional acts of destruction, but may include accidents in which the military, Polish or foreign, was involved (e.g. Osiecznica bus disaster - a collision between a Polish bus and a Soviet Army's truck).

Some of the disasters listed here occurred outside of current Polish borders (e.g. the Smolensk Tu-154 crash) or in times when Poland was not internationally recognized (e.g. during the partitions of Poland), but the predominant number of victims were either Poles or Polish citizens.

Over 100 confirmed deaths

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Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055 Aviation accident Warsaw 183 9 May 1987
Kleofas coal mine disaster [pl] Mining accident Katowice 104 3–4 March 1896 [1]
Barbara-Wyzwolenie coal mine disaster [pl] Mining accident Chorzów 103 21 March 1954 [2]

40 to 99 confirmed deaths

[edit]
Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
Smolensk Tu-154 crash Aviation accident Smolensk 96 10 April 2010
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 Aviation accident Warsaw 87 14 March 1980
Makoszowy coal mine disaster [pl] Mining accident Zabrze 72 28 August 1958
Otłoczyn railway accident Train wreck Otłoczyn 67 19 August 1980
Katowice Trade Hall roof collapse Building collapse Chorzów 65 28 January 2006 [3]
1928 Poland Derecho Derecho 62 4 July 1928
Wielopole Skrzyńskie cinema fire [pl] Structure fire Wielopole Skrzyńskie 58 11 May 1955
1997 Central European flood Flood Western Poland 56 July 1997
Górna Grupa mental hospital fire [pl] Structure fire Górna Grupa 55 31 October 1980
Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz Shipwrecking Baltic Sea (near Rügen) 55 14 January 1993
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 Aviation accident Polica (near Zawoja) 53 2 April 1969
Rotunda PKO Bank explosion Gas explosion Warsaw 49 15 February 1979 [4]

20 to 39 confirmed deaths

[edit]
Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
1978 Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crash Aviation accident Gabare (near Byala Slatina, Bulgaria) 39 Poles (out of 73 total fatalities) 16 March 1978 [5]
Czechowice-Dziedzice Refinery fire Structure fire Czechowice-Dziedzice 37 26 June 1971 [6]
1962 LOT Vickers Viscount Warsaw crash Aviation accident Warsaw 33 19 December 1962 [7]
PKS Gdańsk bus crash Traffic collision Gdańsk 32 2 May 1994 [8]
Wilczy Jar buses tragedy [pl] Traffic collision Żywiec 30 15 November 1978
Warsaw Holy Cross Church Stampede Stampede Warsaw 30 25 December 1881
Grenoble coach crash Traffic collision Vizille, France 27 22 July 2007
Julianka rail crash Train wreck Julianka 25 3 November 1976
Osieck rail crash Train wreck Osieck 25 4 June 1981 [9]
Sinking of the MS Busko Zdrój Sinking North Sea 24 8 February 1985
Kamień Pomorski homeless hostel fire Structure fire Kamień Pomorski 23 13 April 2009 [10]
2006 Halemba coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 23 22 November 2006 [11]
MS Maria Konopnicka fire Boat fire Stocznia Gdańska 23 13 December 1961
Wojska Polskiego 39 Street gas explosion Gas explosion Gdańsk 23 17 April 1995 [12]
Mirosławiec air accident Aviation accident Mirosławiec 20 23 January 2008 [13]
MS Kudowa Zdrój Mediterranean Sea 20 20 January 1983 [14]
Wujek-Śląsk coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 20 18 September 2009 [15]

15 to 19 confirmed deaths

[edit]
Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
Balaton coach crash Traffic collision Near Lake Balaton in Hungary 19 1 July 2002
Halemba coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 19 10 January 1990
Biały Jar avalanche Avalanche Sněžka (near Karpacz) 19 20 March 1968
Nowe Miasto nad Pilica bus crash Traffic collision Nowe Miasto nad Pilica 18 12 October 2010 [16]
Mysłowice coal mine disaster Mining accident Mysłowice 18 4 February 1987
B406/6 trawler explosion Stocznia Gdańska 18 18 June 1980
Motława ferry disaster Shipwrecking Gdańsk 18 1 August 1975 [17]
M/v Nysa North Sea 18 10 January 1965
Polish Air Force An-24 crash Aviation accidents Szczecin 18 28 February 1973
Struga 12 street gas explosion Gas explosion Gdańsk 17 1 February 1976
Szczekociny rail crash Train wreck Szczekociny 16 3 March 2012 [18]
Ursus rail crash Train wreck Ursus 16 20 August 1990 [19]
Radkowice rail crash Train wreck Radkowice 14 27 August 1973 [20]
Osiecznica bus crash Osiecznica 15 22 January 1978
Wyszaka streetcar crash Szczecin 15 7 December 1967 [21]

10 to 14 confirmed deaths

[edit]
Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
Brandenburg coach crash Schönefeld 14 26 September 2010
Kaskada restaurant fire Structure fire Szczecin 14 27 April 1987
MS Czubatka North Sea, 14 10 May 1955
Krosno Odrzańskie tornado Tornado Krosno Odrzańskie 13 13 May 1886
Izbicko level crossing accident Izbicko 13 6 January 1960
Storm in Mazury Masuria 12 21 August 2007
Jeżewo coach crash Sikory-Wojciechowięta 12 30 September 2005
Reptowo rail crash Reptowo 12 5 May 1997
Bydgoszcz rail crash Śliesin (near Bydgoszcz) 12 3 June 1972
MS Cyranka North Sea 12 4 October 1956
ČSM-north coal mine disaster, Stonava (near Karviná), Czechia 12 20 December 2018
Psie Pole rail crash Mirków 11 (unofficial death toll is 32) 9 July 1977
Jas-Mos coal mine disaster Mining accident 10 10 February 2002
Ministry of Interior MSWiA helicopter crash Near Cisna 10 10 January 1991
Drogomil level crossing accident Drogomil 10 4 June 1988
Piła rail crash Piła 10 19 May 1988
MS Brda Hanstholm, Denmark 10 10 January 1975
Rokitnica coal mine disaster Zabrze 10 23 March 1971
Agricultural University building collapse Wrocław 10 22 March 1966

Fewer than 10 confirmed deaths

[edit]
Disaster Type Location Deaths Date Ref.
Bratoszewice level crossing collision Bratoszewice 9 30 July 2012 [22]
1983 Łódź gas explosion Gas explosion Łódź 8 7 December 1983
2017 Świebodzice tenement collapse [pl] Building collapse Świebodzice 6 8 April 2017 [23]
ToNiePokój escape room fire Structure fire Koszalin 5 4 January 2019 [24]
2008 Poland tornado outbreak Tornado Opole Voivodeship, Silesian Voivodeship and Łódź Voivodeship. 4 15–16 August 2008
2022 missile explosion in Poland Explosion Przewodów 2 15 November 2022

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bednarek, Michalina (4 March 2019). "104 ofiary, 72 wdowy i 221 sierot. Wszystko przez maszynistę i jego lampę". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. ^ Purzyński, Piotr (26 March 2004). "50-lecie tragedii w kopalni Barbara-Wyzwolenie w Chorzowie". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Hopes fade after Poland collapse". BBC News. 29 January 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  4. ^ Lisicki, Grzegorz (15 February 2011). "Wybuch gazu w Rotundzie. Mija 32. rocznica tragedii". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  5. ^ Sokalska, Arlena (18 December 2020). "Zapomniana katastrofa lotnicza w Gabare. Opowieść o ludziach, którzy pamiętają". Polska Metropolia Warszawska (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Mija 40. rocznica tragicznego pożaru w Rafinerii Czechowice". Telewizja Polska (in Polish). 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. ^ Semczuk, Przemysław (23 August 2024). "Dlaczego dwa samoloty LOT-u rozbiły się wkrótce po ich kupnie. Przyczynę znalazłem w teczkach w IPN". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. ^ Kozłowski, Przemysław. "Ostatni kurs. Już 30 lat od katastrofy autobusu w Kokoszkach". Gdansk.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Z kart powiatu – Cz. I, Widok przechodził ludzkie wyobrażenie". Garwolin24 (in Polish). 22 October 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Skazani ws. pożaru w Kamieniu Pomorskim. Więzienie dla dwojga urzędników". TVN24 (in Polish). 25 February 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  11. ^ Jurkiewicz, Kacper (8 April 2018). "Katastrofa górnicza w kopalni Halemba: wyrok zapadł. Sąd apelacyjny zaostrzył karę dwóm skazanym". Dziennik Zachodni (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  12. ^ Daszczyński, Roman (17 April 2024). "HISTORIA. Wybuch wieżowca na Strzyży 29 lat temu - trzy wersje, jak doszło do tragedii". Gdańsk.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Cause of military plane crash in Poland sought". NBC News. Associated Press. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  14. ^ Lipka, Michał (30 May 2013). "Morskie tragedie, kórych można było uniknąć". trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  15. ^ "Coal mine story - The last relay Photo". TrekEarth. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  16. ^ "Wypadek. Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą. Busem jechało 18 osób - wszyscy nie żyją". Głos Pomorza (in Polish). 24 October 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  17. ^ Chudzyński, Tomasz (8 October 2022). "Sześćdziesiąt sekund tragedii. W roku 1975 w katastrofie promu na Motławie w Gdańsku zginęło 18 osób". Dziennik Bałtycki (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  18. ^ "Poland suffers deadly train crash near Szczekociny". BBC News. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  19. ^ Durajczyk, Kamil (21 August 2024). "W Ursusie odsłonięto pomnik. Upamiętnia ofiary wielkiej katastrofy kolejowej". Radio Eska (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  20. ^ Sztandera, Marcin (19 August 2014). "To była największa katastrofa kolejowa w regionie. Ujawniamy jej tajemnice". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  21. ^ "Największa katastrofa tramwajowa w historii Polski wydarzyła się w Szczecinie. 48 rocznica". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). 7 December 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Nine killed as minibus and train collide in Poland". BBC News. Agence France-Presse (AFP). 30 July 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  23. ^ "Sześć osób nie żyje, w tym dwoje dzieci. Premier Szydło na miejscu tragedii". TVN24 (in Polish). 8 April 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Escape room fire kills five teenagers in Poland". BBC News. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
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