The Polish government has sent a search and rescue team to help with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria early Monday morning.
Eighteen firefighters and two specially trained dogs from Pomerania left for Warsaw yesterday to join the special search and rescue team of the Polish State Fire Service.
The special rescue team, called HUSAR, consists of 76 rescuers and eight dogs from across Poland. According to the Polish Press Agency, the group landed near the epicenter in Gaziantep at 2:29 local time Monday morning before being directed to an area northeast of the city.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border in the early hours of Monday morning, according to reports by Reuters and the BBC. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in both countries as a result of the massive quake, with rescuers racing to save those trapped under the debris.
Another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck central Turkey this morning, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said, further compounding difficulties for rescuers.
As of 10:00 this morning, the death toll from the combined quakes had risen to 4,365 people, with over 15,834 people injured, according to Turkey’s official humanitarian organization, AFAD.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio, PAP, Reuters
European Council President Charles Michel has officially invited Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to take part in a summit of European Union leaders, officials said on Monday.
Michel invited Zelensky “to participate in person in a future summit of the European Council,” Michel’s spokesperson wrote in a post on Twitter, adding that “no further information will be provided” due to security concerns.
EU officials have also declined to comment on reports of Zelensky’s imminent visit, according to Reuters. They noted that if news of such a move leaked in advance, it could pose a greater security risk for Ukraine’s leader and reduce the chances of him going ahead with the trip, Reuters reported.
The next EU Summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week in Brussels.
Source: Polskie Radio, PAP
Authorities from the Tatra National Park (TPN) have decided to open most hiking and ski trails in the Tatra mountains starting today.
After consultations with mountain search and rescue (TOPR), officials announced the opening of most areas of the Polish Tatras, excluding some roads and ski trails, most notably the road from Palenica Białczańska to Morskie Oko.
While the avalanche risk has decreased since Sunday, officials warn that there is still a considerable risk of spontaneous avalanches in the region, urging hikers to exercise caution and skiers and snowboarders in the area of Kasprowy Wierch to stay on designated ski slopes.
Source: PAP
Five young Polish conductors have been selected by a panel of judges to compete in the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, which will take place in London on March 21-23.
Poland has the largest number of nominees in the competition, including three women (Zofia Kiniorska, Aleksandra Melaniuk, and Agata Zając) and two men (Jakub Montewka and Jakub Przybycień).
Also represented among the 20 contestants are France with four participants, Germany with three, and the UK with two. The Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Greece, and Switzerland have one contestant each.
During the competition, each of the participants will have an opportunity to direct the London Symphony Orchestra, which has a collective vote as part of the adjudication panel.
Named after the Italian philanthropist who founded the contest in 1990, the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition ranks among the most prestigious events of its kind, providing conductors under age 30 much-needed support at the start of their careers.
Past winners of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition include Poland’s Michał Dworzyński, who received First Prize in 2006.
Source: Polskie Radio
A 180-year-old common oak in Łódź is among trees from 16 countries that have been nominated for the 2023 European Tree of the Year competition.
The tree, nicknamed “Fabrykant” or “Factory owner,” is notable for its unique structure, which includes a 20-meter (65-foot) long, S-shaped branch. The tree stands 22.5 meters (74 feet) high, with a canopy of 33 meters (over 108 feet) in width.
The European Tree of the Year is a contest organized by the Environmental Partnership Association, a consortium of six foundations from Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
Polish trees have won the accolade three times since the start of the contest in 2011. An oak from the northeastern village of Przybudki called “Dunin,” or the “The Guardian of the Białowieża Forest,” won the competition last year.
Online voting at www.treeoftheyear.org is open from now until the end of February; winners of the competition will be announced at an awards ceremony in Belgium on March 21.
Source: Polskie Radio, Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cold, with only a slight chance of snow showers or rain, and a gentle breeze coming in from the west. Temperatures will remain at or below freezing, with a high of 2°C or 35°F dropping to a low of -5°C, or 23°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain or snow returning later in the week.
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