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Polish court hands out jail terms over 2006 catastrophe

PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk 17.06.2016 13:11
A court on Friday sentenced an architect to ten years in jail over a 2006 catastrophe that killed 65 people when the roof of a Polish exhibition centre collapsed in the country’s worst disaster in years.
The scene of the disaster - archive picture. Photo: PAP/Andrzej GrygielThe scene of the disaster - archive picture. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

A district court in Katowice, southern Poland, found Jacek J. (full name withheld under Polish law) guilty, saying he was not qualified professionally to handle the building project and that he had acted intentionally in a situation where a disaster was possible.

New Zealander Bruce R. and Ryszard Z, former members of the board of the MTK company, were sentenced to three and four years in jail respectively for being aware of potential danger but not acting to avert it.

During an exceptionally cold winter, the snow-laden roof of the Katowice International Fair (MTK) centre in the southern Polish city of Chorzów collapsed on 28 January, 2006, as it was staging an international event for pigeon fanciers.

Sixty-five people were killed and over 140 injured, 26 of them seriously.

The court’s verdict is subject to appeal. (pk)

Source: PAP

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