Building Collapse in Central Warsaw Leaves One Injured as Referendum Drive Gathers Momentum

Ceilings collapsed in a central Warsaw building on Tuesday afternoon, injuring a 17-year-old worker, while organizers simultaneously reported gathering 27,500 signatures in a campaign to recall the city’s mayor.

Building Collapse Reported in Central Warsaw

Emergency services received a report of a structural collapse in central Warsaw shortly after 2:00 PM, according to Senior Aspirant Jakub Pacyniak of the Warsaw Police Headquarters. The incident prompted the immediate deployment of firefighters, police, and paramedics to the scene.

The collapsed ceilings were located on the first and second floors of the building, where two workers were present at the time. A 17-year-old Ukrainian worker sustained minor injuries after falling from a height, though RMF FM reported that he was not hospitalized. The remaining workers safely evacuated the building.

A specialized search group equipped with a trained dog searched the site and found no one trapped under the rubble. Firefighters have since concluded their operations on-site, allowing normal vehicular traffic to resume while the pedestrian walkway in front of the building remains closed.

Signature Drive Launched to Recall Warsaw Mayor

Simultaneously, an initiative to recall Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and the city council has gathered 27,500 signatures in over a week, campaign initiator Maciej Wilk announced on social media. Wilk stated that the movement is united by a desire for change after 20 years of continuous rule by the same governing team.

According to Wilk, approximately half a million people in Warsaw may be inclined to sign the petition following controversies such as the South Hospital affair. The signature collection campaign began on August 30 and runs until September 28, with volunteers from the Capital Referendum Operation civic initiative deployed on the streets wearing orange vests and hats.

Holding the referendum requires collecting approximately 132,000 signatures, with the exact threshold to be confirmed by the election commissioner.