Farm Building Roof Collapses Under Weight of Snow Near Ełk

On Monday morning, a few minutes before 9:00 AM, a building collapse occurred in the village of Laśmiady in Ełk County. The roof of a farm building on one of the agricultural holdings collapsed completely. Inside the building at the time of the incident were 23 head of cattle, which were trapped under a heap of wooden structure and rubble. Rescue teams from the JRG of the State Fire Service in Ełk and local Volunteer Fire Department units were immediately dispatched to the rescue operation. Rescuers and the farm owners spent many hours extracting the animals from the debris. As reported by Junior Captain Hubert Zawistowski, press officer of the KP PSP in Ełk, preliminary findings indicate that the cause of the collapse was snow accumulated on the roof. „...from preliminary findings, it appears the cause of the collapse was snow accumulated on the roof.” (The structure most likely could not withstand the weight of the wet, dense snowfall.) — Junior Captain Hubert Zawistowski The structure most likely could not withstand the weight of the wet, dense snowfall. All animals were successfully extracted from under the collapsed roof, however – as reported by local media – not all of them survived. The exact number of cattle fatalities is not yet known. The farm owners suffered significant material losses as a result of the event, both due to the destruction of the building and the loss of livestock. In Poland, several dozen serious roof structure collapses under the weight of snow occur annually, mainly in January and February. In 2010, following record snowfall, roofs of market halls and public utility buildings collapsed, leading to the tightening of building regulations concerning snow loads for new structures. The services will now investigate whether the building met the applicable strength standards for snow load. This event serves as a reminder of the dangers associated with extreme weather conditions, which can lead to tragedy, especially in rural areas where many older farm buildings are located. Local municipal authorities have announced assistance for the affected farming family.