Poland: A Nation In Shock After The Worst Tragedy Since WWII

Today, the coffin of President Lech Kaczynski arrived in Warsaw as Poland begins a week of mourning. Saturday’s plane crash killed 96 people, including many Polish key senior officials, when the presidential plane crashed in Western Russia. The Polish officials were on their way to a commemoration of a Soviet-era massacre of Poles which occurred 70 years ago.

“The Soviets killed Polish elites in Katyn 70 years ago. Today, the Polish elite died there while getting ready to pay homage to the Poles killed there,” said former Polish President Lech Walesa on Saturday.

The people in Warsaw lined up in large numbers on the road and the streets from the military airport to the center of town, where the presidential palace is. Early Sunday, Poland observed an emotional two minutes silence to honor the President and the 95 others who died in the crash. Polish top officials who died includes the army Chief of Staff, the central bank Governor, the Deputy Foreign Minister and several members of parliament.

Today, thousands of people gathered at the Presidential palace and the nearby Pilsudski Square in downtown Warsaw amid a sea of candles and flowers to mark what many Poles are calling “the worst national tragedy since World War II”.

World leaders have expressed shock and sorrow over Poland’s tragedy. In an unprecedented gesture of solidarity with Poland, the Russian government has declared April 12 a national day of mourning for the plane crash. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended a short, emotional and somber ceremony in Smolensk before the President’s coffin was flown to Warsaw.

The 60-year old Kaczynski was often a controversial leader advocating a right-wing Catholic political agenda. His wife was also killed in the crash, and he is survived by his daughter and two grandchildren. The acting President is Bronislaw Komorowski.

Editor’s Note: Please follow The News Junkie Post on Twitter to stay updated on all of our articles.