List of disasters in Poland by death toll

Last updated

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).

Contents

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

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055 Aviation accident Warsaw 1839 May 1987 [1]
Kleofas coal mine disaster  [ pl ] Mining accident Katowice 1043–4 March 1896 [2]
Barbara-Wyzwolenie coal mine disaster  [ pl ] Mining accident Chorzów 10321 March 1954 [3]

40 to 99 confirmed deaths

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
Smolensk Tu-154 crash Aviation accident Smolensk 9610 April 2010
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007 Aviation accident Warsaw 8714 March 1980
Makoszowy coal mine disaster  [ pl ] Mining accident Zabrze 7228 August 1958
Otłoczyn railway accident Train wreck Otłoczyn 6719 August 1980
Katowice Trade Hall roof collapse Building collapse Chorzów 6528 January 2006 [4]
1928 Poland Derecho Derecho 624 July 1928
Wielopole Skrzyńskie cinema fire  [ pl ] Structure fire Wielopole Skrzyńskie 5811 May 1955 [5]
1997 Central European flood Flood Western Poland56July 1997
1934 flood in Poland Flood South of Poland5514-20 July 1934 [6]
1980 Górna Grupa psychiatric hospital fire Structure fire Górna Grupa 5531 October 1980 [7]
Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz Shipwrecking Baltic Sea (near Rügen)5514 January 1993
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 Aviation accident Polica (near Zawoja)532 April 1969
Rotunda PKO Bank explosion Gas explosion Warsaw 4915 February 1979 [8]

20 to 39 confirmed deaths

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
1978 Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crash Aviation accident Gabare (near Byala Slatina, Bulgaria)39 Poles (out of 73 total fatalities)16 March 1978 [9]
Czechowice-Dziedzice Refinery fire Structure fire Czechowice-Dziedzice 3726 June 1971 [10]
1962 LOT Vickers Viscount Warsaw crash Aviation accident Warsaw 3319 December 1962 [11]
PKS Gdańsk bus crash Traffic collision Gdańsk 322 May 1994 [12]
Wilczy Jar buses tragedy  [ pl ] Traffic collision Żywiec 3015 November 1978
Warsaw Holy Cross Church Stampede Stampede Warsaw 3025 December 1881
Grenoble coach crash Traffic collision Vizille, France2622 July 2007 [13]
Julianka rail crash Train wreck Julianka 253 November 1976
Osieck rail crash Train wreck Osieck 254 June 1981 [14]
Sinking of the MS Busko Zdrój Sinking North Sea 248 February 1985
Kamień Pomorski homeless hostel fire Structure fire Kamień Pomorski 2313 April 2009 [15]
2006 Halemba coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 2322 November 2006 [16]
MS Maria Konopnicka fireBoat fire Stocznia Gdańska 2313 December 1961
Wojska Polskiego 39 Street gas explosion Gas explosion Gdańsk 2317 April 1995 [17]
Mirosławiec air accident Aviation accident Mirosławiec 2023 January 2008 [18]
MS Kudowa Zdrój Mediterranean Sea 2020 January 1983 [19]
Wujek-Śląsk coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 2018 September 2009 [20]

15 to 19 confirmed deaths

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
Balaton coach crash Traffic collision Near Lake Balaton in Hungary191 July 2002 [21]
Halemba coal mine disaster Mining accident Ruda Śląska 1910 January 1990
1968 Biały Jar avalanche Avalanche Sněžka (near Karpacz)1920 March 1968 [22]
Nowe Miasto nad Pilica bus crash Traffic collision Nowe Miasto nad Pilica 1812 October 2010 [23]
Mysłowice coal mine disaster Mining accident Mysłowice 184 February 1987
B406/6 trawler explosion Stocznia Gdańska 1818 June 1980
Motława ferry disaster Shipwrecking Gdańsk 181 August 1975 [24]
M/v Nysa North Sea 1810 January 1965
Polish Air Force An-24 crash Aviation accidents Szczecin 1828 February 1973 [25]
12 Struga street gas explosion Gas explosion Gdańsk 171 February 1976 [26]
Szczekociny rail crash Train wreck Szczekociny 163 March 2012 [27]
Ursus rail crash Train wreck Ursus 1620 August 1990 [28]
Radkowice rail crash Train wreck Radkowice 1427 August 1973 [29]
Osiecznica bus crash Osiecznica 1522 January 1978 [30]
Wyszaka streetcar crash Szczecin 157 December 1967 [31]

10 to 14 confirmed deaths

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
Brandenburg coach crash Schönefeld 1426 September 2010
Kaskada catering plant fire  [ pl ] Structure fire Szczecin 1427 April 1987 [32]
MS Czubatka North Sea 1410 May 1955
Krosno Odrzańskie tornado Tornado Krosno Odrzańskie 1313 May 1886
Izbicko level crossing accident Izbicko 136 January 1960
2022 Croatian bus crash Traffic collision A4 highway near Breznički Hum, Croatia126 August 2022 [33]
Storm in Mazury Masuria 1221 August 2007
Jeżewo coach crash Sikory-Wojciechowięta 1230 September 2005
Reptowo rail crash Reptowo 125 May 1997
Bydgoszcz rail crash Śliesin (near Bydgoszcz)123 June 1972
MS Cyranka North Sea 124 October 1956
ČSM-north coal mine disaster, Stonava (near Karviná), Czechia1220 December 2018
Psie Pole rail crash Mirków 11 (unofficial death toll is 32)9 July 1977
Jas-Mos coal mine disaster Mining accident 1010 February 2002
Ministry of Interior and Administration helicopter crash Near Cisna 1010 January 1991
Drogomil level crossing accident Drogomil 104 June 1988
Piła rail crash Piła 1019 May 1988
MS Brda Hanstholm, Denmark1010 January 1975
Rokitnica coal mine disaster Zabrze 1023 March 1971
Agricultural University building collapse Wrocław 1022 March 1966

Fewer than 10 confirmed deaths

DisasterTypeLocationDeathsDateRef.
Bratoszewice level crossing collision Bratoszewice 930 July 2012 [34]
1983 Łódź gas explosion Gas explosion Łódź 87 December 1983
1963 smallpox epidemic in Wrocław Epidemic Wrocław 717 July – 19 September 1963 [35]
2017 Świebodzice tenement collapse  [ pl ] Building collapse Świebodzice 68 April 2017 [36]
ToNiePokój escape room fire Structure fire Koszalin 54 January 2019 [37]
2008 Poland tornado outbreak Tornado Opole Voivodeship, Silesian Voivodeship and Łódź Voivodeship.415–16 August 2008
2022 missile explosion in Poland Explosion Przewodów 215 November 2022

See also

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References

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  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Purzyński, Piotr (26 March 2004). "50-lecie tragedii w kopalni Barbara-Wyzwolenie w Chorzowie". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Hopes fade after Poland collapse". BBC News . 29 January 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Klich, Janusz. "Piekło w kinie - tragedia w Wielopolu Skrzyńskim". Podkarpacka Historia (in Polish). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  6. ↑ Chudzik, Wojciech (2014). "Powódź w lipcu 1934 r. w Małopolsce : skutki społeczno-gospodarcze" (PDF). Rocznik Lubelski. 40: 124–137 – via Muzeum Historii Polski.
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  8. ↑ Lisicki, Grzegorz (15 February 2011). "Wybuch gazu w Rotundzie. Mija 32. rocznica tragedii". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Sokalska, Arlena (18 December 2020). "Zapomniana katastrofa lotnicza w Gabare. Opowieść o ludziach, którzy pamiętają". Polska Metropolia Warszawska (in Polish). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
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  12. ↑ Kozłowski, Przemysław. "Ostatni kurs. Już 30 lat od katastrofy autobusu w Kokoszkach". Gdansk.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "26 killed in French coach crash". RTÉ . 22 July 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Z kart powiatu – Cz. I, Widok przechodził ludzkie wyobrażenie". Garwolin24 (in Polish). 22 October 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
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  21. ↑ "19 Polish Tourists Killed, 32 Hurt in Bus Crash". Los Angeles Times . 1 July 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
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  29. ↑ 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.
  30. ↑ Chajewski, Dariusz (22 January 2025). "To była najbardziej tragiczna katastrofa drogowa w Lubuskiem". Lubuskie Centrum Informacyjne (in Polish). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  31. ↑ "Największa katastrofa tramwajowa w historii Polski wydarzyła się w Szczecinie. 48 rocznica" . Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). 7 December 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  32. ↑ Daniszewski, Maksym (27 April 2023). "To już 42. rocznica spłonięcia Kaskady. Poznajcie historię pożaru na zdjęciach". Radio Eska (in Polish). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  33. ↑ Easton, Adam; Maishman, Elsa (6 August 2022). "Croatia bus crash: Twelve Polish pilgrims killed and 32 injured". BBC News . Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  34. ↑ "Nine killed as minibus and train collide in Poland". BBC News. Agence France-Presse (AFP). 30 July 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  35. ↑ "Epidemic in Wrocław in 1963". Institute of National Remembrance . 18 March 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  36. ↑ "Sześć osób nie żyje, w tym dwoje dzieci. Premier Szydło na miejscu tragedii". TVN24 (in Polish). 8 April 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  37. ↑ "Escape room fire kills five teenagers in Poland". BBC News . 5 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
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