Hall collapse: over 60 dead
A dreadful disaster befell the Polish city of Katowice on January 21, when the roof of the International Katowice Fair hall in which a carrier pigeon show was taking place that weekend caved in late in the afternoon.
An inquiry is conducted into what caused the collapse. Rescue operations were launched and many people buried under the ruins were brought to safety. But on Monday morning the authorities put the death toll at over 60. 141 visitors to the exhibition were reportedly injured and treated in 17 hospitals in the area. Among them were Germans, Belgians and Czechs, a Slovakian and a Dutchman. Many of these suffered injuries to the head and spine. 15 are still missing at editorial deadline.
In 2001 the Expocentres Group, London, acquired 51 % of the shares in Katowice International Fair, the second biggest exhibition centre and organiser in Poland (Poznan being the largest).
The alliance represented Poland's first independent exhibition platform, covering the two expo companies in Warsaw and Katowice. The 18,000 m2 modern exhibition site in Warsaw was also built by Expocentres and opened in January 2001.
International Katowice Fair (IKF) organises some 25 exhibitions a year and welcomes an average of 4,500 exhibitors. Roughly a quarter of a million visitors attend events there each year. 40,000 m2 hall space, including a new 14,000 m2 hall built five years ago, and 10,000 m2 of outdoor space are available. German media report of the collaps of the hall which was opened in 2001.
m+a report Nr.1 / 2006 vom 13.02.2006
m+a report vom 13. Februar 2006