List of disasters in Poland by death toll explained

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).

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

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055	Aviation accident	Warsaw	183	9 May 1987	^[1]
	Mining accident	Katowice	104	3–4 March 1896	^[2]
	Mining accident	Chorzów	103	21 March 1954	^[3]

40 to 99 confirmed deaths

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

Smolensk Tu-154 crash	Aviation accident	Smolensk	96	10 April 2010
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 007	Aviation accident	Warsaw	87	14 March 1980
	Mining accident	Zabrze	72	28 August 1958
Otłoczyn railway accident	Train wreck	Otłoczyn	67	19 August 1980
Katowice Trade Hall roof collapse	Building collapse	Chorzów	65	28 January 2006	^[4]
1928 Poland Derecho	Derecho		62	4 July 1928
	Structure fire	Wielopole Skrzyńskie	58	11 May 1955	^[5]
1997 Central European flood	Flood	Western Poland	56	July 1997
1934 flood in Poland	Flood	South of Poland	55	14-20 July 1934	^[6]
1980 Górna Grupa psychiatric hospital fire	Structure fire	Górna Grupa	55	31 October 1980	^[7]
Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz	Shipwrecking	Baltic Sea (near Rügen)	55	14 January 1993
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165	Aviation accident	Polica (near Zawoja)	53	2 April 1969
Rotunda PKO Bank explosion	Gas explosion	Warsaw	49	15 February 1979	^[8]

20 to 39 confirmed deaths

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

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	37	26 June 1971	^[10]
1962 LOT Vickers Viscount Warsaw crash	Aviation accident	Warsaw	33	19 December 1962	^[11]
PKS Gdańsk bus crash	Traffic collision	Gdańsk	32	2 May 1994	^[12]
	Traffic collision	Żywiec	30	15 November 1978
Warsaw Holy Cross Church Stampede	Stampede	Warsaw	30	25 December 1881
Grenoble coach crash	Traffic collision	Vizille, France	26	22 July 2007	^[13]
Julianka rail crash	Train wreck		25	3 November 1976
Osieck rail crash	Train wreck	Osieck	25	4 June 1981	^[14]
Sinking of the MS Busko Zdrój	Sinking	North Sea	24	8 February 1985
Kamień Pomorski homeless hostel fire	Structure fire	Kamień Pomorski	23	13 April 2009	^[15]
2006 Halemba coal mine disaster	Mining accident	Ruda Śląska	23	22 November 2006	^[16]
MS Maria Konopnicka fire	Boat fire	Stocznia Gdańska	23	13 December 1961
Wojska Polskiego 39 Street gas explosion	Gas explosion	Gdańsk	23	17 April 1995	^[17]
Mirosławiec air accident	Aviation accident	Mirosławiec	20	23 January 2008	^[18]
MS Kudowa Zdrój		Mediterranean Sea	20	20 January 1983	^[19]
Wujek-Śląsk coal mine disaster	Mining accident	Ruda Śląska	20	18 September 2009	^[20]

15 to 19 confirmed deaths

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

Balaton coach crash	Traffic collision	Near Lake Balaton in Hungary	19	1 July 2002	^[21]
Halemba coal mine disaster	Mining accident	Ruda Śląska	19	10 January 1990
1968 Biały Jar avalanche	Avalanche	Sněžka (near Karpacz)	19	20 March 1968	^[22]
Nowe Miasto nad Pilica bus crash	Traffic collision	Nowe Miasto nad Pilica	18	12 October 2010	^[23]
Mysłowice coal mine disaster	Mining accident	Mysłowice	18	4 February 1987
B406/6 trawler explosion		Stocznia Gdańska	18	18 June 1980
Motława ferry disaster	Shipwrecking	Gdańsk	18	1 August 1975	^[24]
M/v Nysa		North Sea	18	10 January 1965
Polish Air Force An-24 crash		Szczecin	18	28 February 1973	^[25]
12 Struga street gas explosion	Gas explosion	Gdańsk	17	1 February 1976	^[26]
Szczekociny rail crash	Train wreck	Szczekociny	16	3 March 2012	^[27]
Ursus rail crash	Train wreck	Ursus	16	20 August 1990	^[28]
Radkowice rail crash	Train wreck	Radkowice	14	27 August 1973	^[29]
Osiecznica bus crash		Osiecznica	15	22 January 1978	^[30]
Wyszaka streetcar crash		Szczecin	15	7 December 1967	^[31]

10 to 14 confirmed deaths

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

Brandenburg coach crash		Schönefeld	14	26 September 2010
	Structure fire	Szczecin	14	27 April 1987	^[32]
MS Czubatka		North Sea	14	10 May 1955
Krosno Odrzańskie tornado	Tornado	Krosno Odrzańskie	13	13 May 1886
Izbicko level crossing accident		Izbicko	13	6 January 1960
2022 Croatian bus crash	Traffic collision	A4 highway near Breznički Hum, Croatia	12	6 August 2022	^[33]
Storm in Mazury		Masuria	12	21 August 2007
Jeżewo coach crash		Sikory-Wojciechowięta	12	30 September 2005
Reptowo rail crash		Reptowo	12	5 May 1997
Bydgoszcz rail crash		Śliesin (near Bydgoszcz)	12	3 June 1972
MS Cyranka		North Sea	12	4 October 1956
ČSM-north coal mine disaster,		Stonava (near Karviná), Czechia	12	20 December 2018
Psie Pole rail crash		Mirków	11 (unofficial death toll is 32)	9 July 1977
Jas-Mos coal mine disaster	Mining accident		10	10 February 2002
Ministry of Interior and Administration helicopter crash		Near Cisna	10	10 January 1991
Drogomil level crossing accident		Drogomil	10	4 June 1988
Piła rail crash		Piła	10	19 May 1988
MS Brda		Hanstholm, Denmark	10	10 January 1975
Rokitnica coal mine disaster		Zabrze	10	23 March 1971
Agricultural University building collapse		Wrocław	10	22 March 1966

Fewer than 10 confirmed deaths

!Disaster!Type!Location!Deaths!Date!

Bratoszewice level crossing collision		Bratoszewice	9	30 July 2012	^[34]
1983 Łódź gas explosion	Gas explosion	Łódź	8	7 December 1983
1963 smallpox epidemic in Wrocław	Epidemic	Wrocław	7	17 July – 19 September 1963	^[35]
	Building collapse	Świebodzice	6	8 April 2017	^[36]
ToNiePokój escape room fire	Structure fire	Koszalin	5	4 January 2019	^[37]
2008 Poland tornado outbreak	Tornado	Opole Voivodeship, Silesian Voivodeship and Łódź Voivodeship.	4	15–16 August 2008
2022 missile explosion in Poland	Explosion	Przewodów	2	15 November 2022

See also

• List of disasters in Antarctica by death toll
• List of disasters in Australia by death toll
• List of disasters in Canada by death toll
• List of disasters in Croatia by death toll
• List of disasters in Germany by death toll
• List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll
• List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll
• List of disasters in Ukraine by death toll
• List of disasters in the United States by death toll

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ranter . Harro . Accident Ilyushin Il-62M SP-LBG, Saturday 9 May 1987 . 2025-01-23 . asn.flightsafety.org.
2. Web site: Bednarek . Michalina . 4 March 2019 . 104 ofiary, 72 wdowy i 221 sierot. Wszystko przez maszynistę i jego lampę . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
3. Web site: Purzyński . Piotr . 26 March 2004 . 50-lecie tragedii w kopalni Barbara-Wyzwolenie w Chorzowie . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
4. Web site: 29 January 2006 . Hopes fade after Poland collapse . 13 January 2025 . BBC News.
5. Web site: Klich . Janusz . Piekło w kinie - tragedia w Wielopolu Skrzyńskim . 23 January 2025 . Podkarpacka Historia . pl.
6. Chudzik . Wojciech . 2014 . Powódź w lipcu 1934 r. w Małopolsce : skutki społeczno-gospodarcze . Rocznik Lubelski . 40 . 124–137 . Muzeum Historii Polski.
7. Web site: Pawłowski . Jacek . Jakież to mistyczne spłonąć w dzień Wszystkich Świętych . 23 January 2025 . . pl.
8. Web site: Lisicki . Grzegorz . 15 February 2011 . Wybuch gazu w Rotundzie. Mija 32. rocznica tragedii . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
9. Web site: Sokalska . Arlena . 18 December 2020 . Zapomniana katastrofa lotnicza w Gabare. Opowieść o ludziach, którzy pamiętają . 21 January 2025 . Polska Metropolia Warszawska . pl.
10. Web site: 25 June 2011 . Mija 40. rocznica tragicznego pożaru w Rafinerii Czechowice . https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065835/http://katowice.tvp.pl/4767247/mija-40-rocznica-tragicznego-pozaru-w-rafinerii-czechowice . 4 February 2019 . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
11. Web site: Semczuk . Przemysław . 23 August 2024 . Dlaczego dwa samoloty LOT-u rozbiły się wkrótce po ich kupnie. Przyczynę znalazłem w teczkach w IPN . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
12. Web site: Kozłowski . Przemysław . Ostatni kurs. Już 30 lat od katastrofy autobusu w Kokoszkach . 13 January 2025 . Gdansk.pl . pl.
13. Web site: 22 July 2007 . 26 killed in French coach crash . 23 January 2025 . RTÉ.
14. Web site: 22 October 2014 . Z kart powiatu – Cz. I, Widok przechodził ludzkie wyobrażenie . 21 January 2025 . Garwolin24 . pl.
15. Web site: 25 February 2015 . Skazani ws. pożaru w Kamieniu Pomorskim. Więzienie dla dwojga urzędników . 13 January 2025 . . pl.
16. Web site: Jurkiewicz . Kacper . 8 April 2018 . Katastrofa górnicza w kopalni Halemba: wyrok zapadł. Sąd apelacyjny zaostrzył karę dwóm skazanym . 13 January 2025 . . pl.
17. Web site: Daszczyński . Roman . 17 April 2024 . Historia. Wybuch wieżowca na Strzyży 29 lat temu - trzy wersje, jak doszło do tragedii . 13 January 2025 . Gdańsk.pl . pl.
18. Web site: 24 January 2008 . Cause of military plane crash in Poland sought . 9 January 2025 . . Associated Press.
19. Web site: Lipka . Michał . 30 May 2013 . Morskie tragedie, kórych można było uniknąć . 21 January 2025 . trojmiasto.pl . pl.
20. Web site: Coal mine story - The last relay Photo . 2010-05-24 . TrekEarth.
21. Web site: 1 July 2002 . 19 Polish Tourists Killed, 32 Hurt in Bus Crash . 23 January 2025 . Los Angeles Times.
22. Web site: Szymaszek . Agnieszka . 19 March 2018 . Lawina w Białym Jarze - najtragiczniejszy wypadek w polskich górach . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319213852/http://poznajpolske.onet.pl/dolnoslaskie/lawina-w-bialym-jarze-w-karkonoszach-w-1968-roku/4y2tey . 19 March 2018 . 23 January 2025 . . pl.
23. Web site: 24 October 2010 . Wypadek. Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą. Busem jechało 18 osób - wszyscy nie żyją . 21 January 2025 . Głos Pomorza . pl.
24. Web site: Chudzyński . Tomasz . 8 October 2022 . Sześćdziesiąt sekund tragedii. W roku 1975 w katastrofie promu na Motławie w Gdańsku zginęło 18 osób . 21 January 2025 . . pl.
25. Web site: Zadworny . Adam . 28 February 2012 . Katastrofa An-24 sprzed 39 lat. Niepublikowane zdjęcia . 23 January 2025 . . pl.
26. Web site: Kuczyńska . Magdalena . 29 October 2014 . Głaz na Siedlcach upamiętnił ofiary wybuchu gazu . https://web.archive.org/web/20141031132205/http://www.gdansk.pl/start_nowy,512,33822.html . 31 October 2014 . 23 January 2025 . Gdansk.pl . pl.
27. Web site: 5 March 2012 . Poland suffers deadly train crash near Szczekociny . 13 January 2025 . BBC News.
28. Web site: Durajczyk . Kamil . 21 August 2024 . W Ursusie odsłonięto pomnik. Upamiętnia ofiary wielkiej katastrofy kolejowej . 13 January 2025 . . pl.
29. Web site: Sztandera . Marcin . 19 August 2014 . To była największa katastrofa kolejowa w regionie. Ujawniamy jej tajemnice . dead . https://archive.today/20151001074131/http://wyborcza.pl/1,75248,16499405,To_byla_najwieksza_katastrofa_kolejowa_w_regionie_.html?ssoSessionId=0988d4f33004d8871f95b278c473e7d09e0a13b52d515711ad1cb0b4169e6804 . 1 October 2015 . 13 January 2025 . . pl.
30. Web site: Chajewski . Dariusz . 22 January 2025 . To była najbardziej tragiczna katastrofa drogowa w Lubuskiem . 23 January 2025 . Lubuskie Centrum Informacyjne . pl.
31. Web site: 7 December 2015 . Największa katastrofa tramwajowa w historii Polski wydarzyła się w Szczecinie. 48 rocznica . subscription . 13 January 2025 . . pl.
32. Web site: Daniszewski . Maksym . 27 April 2023 . To już 42. rocznica spłonięcia Kaskady. Poznajcie historię pożaru na zdjęciach . 23 January 2025 . . pl.
33. Web site: Easton . Adam . Maishman . Elsa . 6 August 2022 . Croatia bus crash: Twelve Polish pilgrims killed and 32 injured . 23 January 2025 . BBC News.
34. News: 2012-07-30 . Nine killed as minibus and train collide in Poland . 2012-11-18 . BBC News . Agence France-Presse (AFP).
35. Web site: 18 March 2020 . Epidemic in Wrocław in 1963 . 27 January 2025 . Institute of National Remembrance.
36. Web site: 2017-04-08 . Sześć osób nie żyje, w tym dwoje dzieci. Premier Szydło na miejscu tragedii . 2020-11-25 . TVN24 . pl.
37. Web site: 5 January 2019 . Escape room fire kills five teenagers in Poland . 9 January 2025 . BBC News.