by eggy2125 » 10 Apr 10, 6:06 pm
by Spaceman Africa » 10 Apr 10, 8:16 pm
BBC wrote:Polish President Lech Kaczynski dies in plane crash
Polish President Lech Kaczynski and scores of others have been killed in a plane crash in Russia.
Polish and Russian officials said no-one had survived after the plane apparently hit trees as it approached Smolensk's airport in thick fog.
Poland's army chief, central bank governor, MPs and leading historians were among more than 80 passengers.
They were flying in from Warsaw to mark 70 years since the Katyn massacre of thousands of Poles by Soviet forces.
The BBC's Adam Easton, in Warsaw, says the crash is a catastrophe for the Polish people.
He says Prime Minister Donald Tusk was reportedly in tears when he was told.
Mr Tusk, who runs the day-to-day business of government, has called an emergency meeting of ministers.
Pilot error?
The Russian emergencies ministry told Itar-Tass news agency the plane crashed at 1056 Moscow time (0656 GMT).
Smolensk regional governor Sergei Antufiev told Russian TV that no-one had survived.
"As it was preparing for landing, the Polish president's aircraft did not make it to the landing strip," he said.
"According to preliminary reports, it got caught up in the tops of trees, fell to the ground and broke up into pieces. There are no survivors in that crash."
Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Piotr Paszkowski, also said it could be assumed with "great certainty" that no-one had survived.
"We still cannot fully understand the scope of this tragedy and what it means for us in the future. Nothing like this has ever happened in Poland," Mr Paszkowski said.
It is unclear how many people were on board. Polish officials said the delegation was 88-strong, and local officials said 96 people had been killed.
Russian investigators had earlier said there were a total of 132 people on the plane.
Russian media carried claims that the plane's crew were at fault for the crash.
"The pilot was advised to land in Minsk, but decided to land in Smolensk," said Andrei Yevseyenkov, a Smolensk regional government spokesman.
Controversial figure
The president was flying in a Tupolev 154, a plane that was designed in the 1960s and capable of carrying more than 100 passengers.
Our correspondent says there had been calls for Polish leaders to upgrade their planes.
As well as the president and his wife, Maria, a number of senior officials were on the passenger list.
They included the army chief of staff Gen Franciszek Gagor, central bank governor Slawomir Skrzypek and deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer.
Mr Kaczynski, who has fewer powers than the prime minister but has a significant say in foreign policy, has been a controversial figure in Polish politics.
He has advocated a right-wing Catholic agenda, opposed rapid free-market reforms and favoured retaining social welfare programmes.
Pan Lech KACZYŃSKI - President of Poland
Pani Maria KACZYŃSKA - his Wife
Official delegation
1. Pan Ryszard KACZOROWSKI - former President of Poland in Exile
2. Pan Krzysztof PUTRA - Vice-marshal of Sejm
3. Pan Jerzy SZMAJDZIŃSKI - Vice-marshal of Sejm
4. Pani Krystyna BOCHENEK - Vice-marshal of Senate
5. Pan Jerzy BAHR - Ambassador of Poland to Russia
6. Pan Władysław STASIAK - Chief of the President's Office
7. Pan Aleksander SZCZYGŁO - chief of the National Security Bureau
8. Pan Jacek SASIN - deputy chief of the president's office
9. Pan Paweł WYPYCH - Secretary of State in President's office
10. Pan Mariusz HANDZLIK - Undersecretary of State in President's office
11. Pan Andrzej KREMER - Undersecretary of State in Foreign Affairs Ministry
12. Pan Stanisław KOMOROWSKI - Undersecretary of State in Ministry of National Defence
13. Pan Tomasz MERTA - Undersecretary of State in Ministry of National Heritage
14. Gen. Franciszek GĄGOR - Polish Army's Chief of Staff
15. Pan Andrzej PRZEWOŹNIK - historian
16. Pan Maciej PŁAŻYŃSKI - former Marshal of Sejm
17. Pan Mariusz KAZANA - Director of Dimplomatic Protocol
Members of Parliament
1. Pan Leszek DEPTUŁA
2. Pan Grzegorz DOLNIAK
3. Pani Grażyna GĘSICKA
4. Pan Przemysław GOSIEWSKI
5. Pan Sebastian KARPINIUK
6. Pani Izabela JARUGA - NOWACKA
7. Pan Zbigniew WASSERMANN
8. Pani Aleksandra NATALII - ŚWIAT
9. Pan Arkadiusz RYBICKI
10. Pani Jolanta SZYMANEK - DERESZ
11. Pan Wiesław WODA
12. Pan Edward WOJTAS
13. Pani Janina FETLIŃSKA
17. Pan Stanisław ZAJĄC
Other people
1. Pan Janusz KOCHANOWSKI - Ombudsman
2. Pan Sławomir SKRZYPEK - President of the Polish National Bank
3. Pan Janusz KURTYKA - President of Institute of National Remembrance
4. Pan Janusz KRUPSKI - former deputy President of Institute of National Remembrance
Representatives of Churches
1. Ks. Bp. gen. dyw. Tadeusz PŁOSKI
2. Abp gen. bryg. Miron CHODAKOWSKI
3. Ks. płk Adam PILCH
4. Ks. ppłk Jan OSIŃSKI
Representatives of Katyn Families and other associations
1. Pan Edward DUCHNOWSKI
2. Ks. prałat Bronisław GOSTOMSKI
3. Ks. Józef JONIEC
4. Ks. Zdzisław KRÓL
5. Ks. Andrzej KWAŚNIK
6. Pan Tadeusz LUTOBORSKI
7. Pani Bożena ŁOJEK
8. Pan Stefan MELAK
9. Pan Stanisław MIKKE
10. Pani Bronisława ORAWIEC - LOFFLER
11. Pani Katarzyna PISKORSKA
12. Pan Andrzej SARIUSZ - SKĄPSKI
13. Pan Wojciech SEWERYN
14. Pan Leszek SOLSKI
15. Pani Teresa WALEWSKA - PRZYJAŁKOWSKA
16. Pani Gabriela ZYCH
17. Pani Ewa BĄKOWSKA
18. Pani Maria BOROWSKA
19. Pan Bartosz BOROWSKI
20. Pan Dariusz MALINOWSKI
Representatives of Armed Forces
1. Gen. Bronisław KWIATKOWSKI - Operations Chief of Armed Forces
2. Gen. Andrzej BŁASIK - Chief of Air Forces
3. Gen. Tadeusz BUK - Chief of Land Forces
4. Gen. Włodzimierz POTASIŃSKI - Chief of Special Forces
5. Viceadmiral Andrzej KARWETA - Chief of Navy
6. Gen. Kazimierz GILARSKI - Chief of Garrison Warsaw
by eggy2125 » 10 Apr 10, 8:39 pm
by EmbraceThePing » 10 Apr 10, 11:52 pm
Who wants to take over Poland with me?
by liquid.tension » 11 Apr 10, 6:08 am
EmbraceThePing wrote: Who wants to take over Poland with me?
by Lurk » 11 Apr 10, 9:21 am
by TheScientist » 11 Apr 10, 10:40 am
by Wyld » 11 Apr 10, 9:32 pm
*Marshal of the Sejm - Bronislaw Komorowski - has taken over the competences of president.
*Special government meeting is about to start in Warsaw.
*People start to gathering in front of Presidential Palace in Warsaw to gave their respect.
*96 victims - latest data from the local authorities.
*Journalist aren't allowed to enter the crash site. According to witnesses, plane has been losing fuel just before it hit the treetops and crashed.
*All cultural and sport events in country are canceled.
*Full list of passengers: polskieradio.pl
*Prime minister Donald Tusk is receiving condolences from heads of state from around the world; president of Russia, chancellor of Germany has send a special letters to Tusk.
*National flags are at half-mast. People start to hang flags on their houses, often with black ribbons.
*All main polish portals switched to black and white colours: wp.pl, onet.pl, gazeta.pl, interia.pl, tvn24.pl. Journalist, which were announcing the tragedy in news stations, barely could hold their tears.
*134 persons are working on the crash site. There are 50 units of special equipment.
*Biggest news channel - TVN24 - has started a special live internet broadcast. Watch here.
*All bodies are still in plane's wreck.
*Authorities of Smolensk airport did not recommend to land in that weather conditions, they advised to land in Moscow. Decision to land anyway was made by team on the airplane - said Irina Andrianowa, spokeswoman of local authorities.
*Press conference of Bronislaw Komorowski, who has taken over the competences of president, will start soon.
*Prime minister of Russia Vladimir Putin heads to the crash site - unofficial.
*All polish official prosecutors will immediately receive visas to travel on the crash site to help to investigate - said Russian president Dmitrij Miedviediev.
*More and more people gathers around the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. They bring flowers, light candles.
*Black box has been found - according to Interfax.
*"This plane shouldn't fly. You shouldn't save money on safety" - said Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, president of Warsaw. "But let's not seek the responsible ones right now. Those who believe in god, should pray" - she added.
*Bronislaw Komorowski announced national week of mourning.
*There were 96 persons on the plane: 88 passengers and 8 crew members - latest official data.
*Poland has been left without army leaders; first deputies are taking over the command.
*Special government meeting is now taking place in Warsaw. It started with a minute of silence.
*Presidential election date should be announced in no longer than two weeks. Elections should took place during next 2,5 months - according to Polish constitution.
*Polish and Russian prime ministers, Donald Tusk an Vladimir Putin, are heading to Smolensk.
*First coffins has been shipped to Smolensk airport.
*Portal onet.pl has started a condolence book.
*Poland is in a deep grief. This can be also felt in the internet. Many anti-presidential websites and Facebook groups are closing.
*Russian president Miedviediev is going to make a special speech to Polish nation.
*Polish PM Donald Tusk received condolences from US president Barack Obama during phone conversation. France, Germany, Russia, UK, Italy, Israel... This is only some of the countries, that also expressed their grief.
*When presidential plane was approaching to runway, visibility was less than 500 meters - said local meteorological experts.
*Jaroslaw Kaczynski, brother of Lech Kaczynski, former prime minister and present member of Sejm, is leaving to Smolensk.
*12 April will be a day of national grief in Russia - announced president Dmitrij Miedviediev.
*Bodies of passengers and crew will be transported to Moscow, where identification will take place.
*All black boxes has been found - official.
*Video from the crash site: youtube.com
*Lithuania announced national grief.
*There are 97 bodies on the crash site - said Sergey Shoygu, Russian minister of emergency situations.
*Body of Polish president Lech Kaczynski has been found.
*First coffins are leaving the crash site.
*Polish plane crew did not comply to some orders from the control tower - said Aleksander Alechin, Russian governmental aviation expert. He stressed that plane began to reduce altitude in an unusual way 1,5 km before the runway.
*Almost every TV channel is completely devoted to today's tragedy. There are some exceptions, though. Music tv Viva is playing slow, calm music. Fox Life or Comedy Central without changes. MTV - still the same stupid shows.
*Website of Lech Kaczynski: http://www.president.pl
*There are special masses in churches all over the Poland, some are transmitted by TV.
*Poland has lost many great people today... Among the victims of crash is Jerzy Szmajdzinski, who was candidate to presidential elections this year. Yesterday was his 58-th birthday. "Thank you for wishes!" - he wrote on his Twitter.
*Flags on European Commission and European Parliament buildings are at half-mast.
*Google placed a message on a polish version of search site: "In the memory of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and all the victims".
*Jaroslaw Kaczynski, brother of Lech Kaczynski and active politician, arrived to Witebsk, Belearus, from where he will head to Smolensk.
*Identification of bodies will take place in Moscow. Authorities reserved 150 hotel rooms for families and relatives of victims. Sources say that in some cases identification will be possible only by the DNA.
*Usually, reporters are using presidential plane during his international visits. This time was different because of large number of other polish guests, that were invited on the board. There were second plane ordered by presidential office only for journalists. They landed safely on the same airport few hours before crash of presidential TU-154.
*There was interview on TV with people, who quit the flight so their friends could go instead... They were shocked by current situation. There was also mention about woman, who was on the passenger list, but was late on the plane... She didn't want to talk with media.
*All bodies were found - informed Sergey Shoygu, Russian minister of emergency situations.
*Polish investigation team is already in Smolensk.
by MaddMoose » 11 Apr 10, 9:35 pm
by Nimbot2506 » 11 Apr 10, 9:37 pm
by Wyld » 11 Apr 10, 9:39 pm
by Marius » 11 Apr 10, 10:33 pm
by Onyx » 11 Apr 10, 10:35 pm
by SpEEd_NiNjA » 11 Apr 10, 11:22 pm
by Winged Sandals » 12 Apr 10, 12:11 am
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