[Medico-legal assessment of the injuries of fatal victims of building collapse at Katowice International Fair in Katowice/Chorzów on January 28, 2006].

On January 28, 2006, during an exhibition of carrier pigeons, the roof of one of the buildings at Katowice International Fair collapsed. At the time of accident, there were 700 people in the building--65 died and 171 were injured. It was the biggest building disaster in the history of modern Poland. The aim of this study was to present the type (character) of the observed injuries, the cause of death of 48 fatal victims and the range of activities and medico-legal examinations performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. In the period of January 29-February 1, 2006, on February 14, 2006, and February 17, 2006, post-mortem examinations of the 48 deceased were carried out, and in some cases additional dissecting techniques were employed. During autopsies, numerous specimens for various additional examinations (histopathological, toxicological) were collected. For identification purposes, photographic material and specimens, necessary for genetic identification, were secured. Additionally, the bodies were identified by families. The post-mortem procedures eventually allowed for establishing the cause of death of all the victims. The authors emphasize the range of necessary medico-legal procedures and examinations that should be carried out in a Department of Forensic Medicine in case of a building collapse with a large number of fatalities in order to determine the type of injuries, cause and mechanism of death and to identify the deceased.