Editor's Note: These are courtesy translations of local news provided by the U.S. Army Garrison Poland Public Affairs team for the benefit the military community stationed here. Views or opinions are not endorsed by USAG Poland or the U.S. Army.
Tenement house in Jeżyce catches fire and causes explosion
A press briefing was held in Poznań with the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Wiesław Leśniakiewicz. Initially, it was reported that two firefighters, aged 33 and 34, died. Both had several years of experience. They were the first to enter the basement to conduct reconnaissance. The report concerned smoke in this place. As the deputy minister added, if possible, the building will be checked to see if there are any other injured people there.
"The first units arrive at the scene at 11:55 p.m. - 5 minutes after the report. All this happened so quickly because one of the people had a smoke detector in the apartment. She was the one who raised the alarm at the first moment and thanks to that immediate actions were taken to evacuate the building's residents, " says Wiesław Leśniakiewicz, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. "I have no reservations about the action and the entire coordination that took place in Poznań. We will be making a very in-depth analysis of the entire situation. We know that the coordination of the action was at a good level from the point of view of cooperation between services, " he emphasized.
Currently, 16 people are known to have been injured, including 13 firefighters.
As reported by the Voivode of Wielkopolska, Agata Sobczyk, seven firefighters are still in hospital. They have first- and second-degree burns, bruises, and bruises. At first, they only asked about their colleagues. They remember what happened. Six firefighters have already left the hospital. In addition to them, civilians are also in the wards. One of these people was transported to the hospital in Nowa Sól by an Air Ambulance helicopter. The Voivode declares that any support needed will be provided.
"The Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office in Poznań will pay each of the victims of the fire and explosion of a building in Poznań up to PLN 6,000 in emergency support. Later, together with the city authorities, we will work out a larger support model depending on the needs," the governor declared.
The president of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, also spoke. In his first words, he thanks the firefighters, medical services, and the police. He emphasizes that this is a joint action of all city services. He adds that what is most important today is aiding with the victims. As he says, similar actions will be taken as after the explosion of the tenement house in Dębiec. The president declared that he would ask entrepreneurs for help to ensure that residents who lost their property can function with dignity. The president assured that this will be concrete support.
Senior Brigadier Mariusz Feltynowski, the Chief Commandant of the State Fire Service, emphasized that the first firefighters were there within five minutes of the report. Now, a search of the area by drones is planned. Two search and rescue groups are on standby. There is also broad psychological support for everyone. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Experts will take care of it.
Chief Inspector Roman Kuster, First Deputy Commander of the Police, announced that it will be a huge amount of work for the police and prosecutor as well. A special team has already been appointed to work on determining what caused the fire and explosion. He added that officers will still be talking to residents today to make sure that no guests were in their apartments at night, to make sure that no one was left in the building.
There is still no information about what exploded in the basement. Although the police admitted that they have some assumptions, no details have been provided yet.
As reported by the Provincial Office in Poznań, firefighters are currently not entering the building to conduct a thorough reconnaissance, which will allow for the exclusion of bystanders among the victims. The tenement house is very damaged, there is no evacuation route that can be used to move around and enter the building. Actions will be taken to stabilize the building so that the services can re-enter without endangering their lives.
Warta river season comes to an end
This year, crowds of residents and tourists are once again enjoying their vacations on the largest river in Poznań. They are attracted to the Warta by its rich cultural and gastronomic offer.
Until Saturday, August 31, a motorboat rental will be open in the Old Port. To explore the city from the water, you don't need any special permissions, just show your ID card confirming that you're 18 and complete a short training. Also, until the end of the month, a temporary river port is open, where you can moor your boat for free.
Until Sunday, September 1, a water tram runs along the river. Cruises take place on two routes. To the north: from the stop located at the Cathedral to the railway bridge in Koziegłowy. Return to the stop at Panny Marii Street (Cathedral). On Saturdays, the ship departs at 11:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m., on Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
The second route, towards the south, leads from the stop located at the Cathedral (Pany Marii Street) through the stop at Ewangelicka Street (Chwaliszewo), up to the railway bridge on Starołęka. Return to the stop at Panny Marii Street (Cathedral). On Saturdays, the ship starts its cruise at 2:00 p.m., and on Sundays at 11:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m.
Tickets will be available from the ship's crew 10 minutes before each cruise. The cost of the cruise on the entire route, which lasts about 1 hour, 30 minutes, is PLN 20 per person. In the case of a trip to the south, it is possible to sail a part of the route (the Katedra - Chwaliszewo section) for PLN 5 per person. Children up to 3 years of age under the care of a guardian will be able to use the service free of charge.
Poznań hotels recorded the highest holiday occupancy in history in July
This information was provided on social media by PLOT - Poznań Local Tourism Organization. "Good news is coming from Poznań hotels. According to the international company STR, which monitors hotel occupancy around the world, Poznań hotels recorded the highest holiday occupancy in history in July. It reached 70.3%, which is a significantly better result than in 2023 (59.1%) or in 2019 (58%)" - we read in the entry.
The mayor of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, also commented on the matter. "If we were to compare Poznań in the summer months, hotel occupancy has never been so high. Poznań is a congress and business city, but it turns out that in this area we have very large increases - hotel occupancy at the level of 70 percent," he says. "We have reasons to be proud and many people come to Poznań and are delighted with how Poznań looks today - twice as much greenery in this very center," he emphasized.
World's largest exhibition of BANKSY's in the works for Poznań
From August 30, 2024, the world's largest and most unique exhibition of Banksy's works, "The Mystery of BANKSY - A Genius Mind", will be held in Poznań at the MTP. This extraordinary event, dedicated to one of the most mysterious and influential contemporary artists, has been attracting crowds of art enthusiasts from all over the world for years. Although he comes from Bristol, Banksy has gained international fame while remaining an artist full of mysteries. His work, balancing on the border between graffiti and painting, constantly provokes and questions the norms of the traditional art market. The first exhibition dedicated to his works took place in Munich in March 2021, since then attracting thousands of visitors in various cities around the world, becoming one of the most important events in the world of street art.
Tickets available at: www.biletinfo.pl and www.mystery-banksy.pl
The exhibition serves as an extraordinary journey through the artist's entire creative period. It presents over 150 inspiring street art motifs - graffiti, photography, sculpture, video installations and prints on various media such as canvas, fabric, aluminum, FOREX® and plexiglass - all precisely selected and gathered especially for this extraordinary exhibition. The sophisticated setting of this event offers a comprehensive overview and insight into the work of this extraordinary artist.
Organizing such a monumental exhibition was undoubtedly a challenge. As part of The Mystery of BANKSY - A Genius Mind, we aimed to gather the most outstanding and effective motifs in one place, creating a relaxed atmosphere outside the conventional museum environment, but at the same time ensuring the highest standards of quality - emphasizes producer Oliver Forster from COFO Exhibitions.
American helicopter causes excitement at local hospital
The landing of a helicopter on Szwajcarska Street caused a lot of excitement.
A Reader wrote to us about this on Tuesday - A moment ago (at 7:20 p.m.) a Sikorsky HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter registered to the United States Army landed at the hospital on Szwajcarska Street. After a few minutes, it flew away.
The hospital reported that these were exercises. A new team arrived in Powidz, which is conducting exercises, which include reconnaissance of the area. The hospital provided a landing strip. A simulation of transporting a wounded person by helicopter took place. The team landed at the hospital, got out of the helicopter, looked around, and got back into the helicopter, then flew away.
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