Explosive device found in Płock theatre basement

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The news in Polish

1. ładunek  (m.)
   to coś, co jest zapakowane razem, może być przewożone; może to być też materiały wybuchowe przygotowane do eksplozji ↩︎
2. wybuchowy
   taki, który może wybuchnąć; łatwo powodujący eksplozję ↩︎
3. piwnica  (f.)
   dolne pomieszczenie w budynku, zwykle pod ziemią, używane do trzymania rzeczy ↩︎
4. ewakuować
   zabrać ludzi w bezpieczne miejsce z miejsca, gdzie może być niebezpiecznie ↩︎
5. ranny
   taki, który ma obrażenia ciała po wypadku, ataku lub innym zdarzeniu ↩︎
6. specjalista  (m.)
   osoba, która ma dużą wiedzę i umiejętności w jakiejś jednej, konkretnej dziedzinie ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What did the workers do after they found the explosive device in the theatre basement?

Question 2: How many people were evacuated from the building by the police?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
ładunek  (m.)	load
wybuchowy	explosive
piwnica  (f.)	cellar
ewakuować	evacuate
ranny	injured
specjalista  (m.)	specialist

Read the full story

Police in the central Polish city of Płock have confirmed that an explosive device was discovered in the basement of the local Dramatic Theatre, leading to a full evacuation of the building and a large emergency response. No injuries have been reported.

The alarm was raised at around 1 p.m. local time, when staff carrying out cleaning and maintenance work in the basement noticed several suspicious objects. They informed the authorities, and police patrols together with specialist bomb disposal and pyrotechnic units were sent to the site.

For safety reasons, the theatre was quickly cleared. According to police statements, 32 people – described as employees who were inside at the time – were evacuated. There were no audience members or other visitors in the building. The area around the theatre was sealed off, and access was limited to emergency services.

After entering the basement, the specialist police group confirmed that one of the objects was a functioning explosive device. In the same room, officers also located additional items with “combat” or military-style properties. All of these were secured and removed for detailed examination, and the location where they were found was carefully documented as part of the investigation.

Preliminary findings suggest that the objects may have been stored in the basement for several months. Police have indicated that they most likely belonged to a former theatre employee who died a few months ago. According to information given to the Polish Press Agency (PAP) by one theatre worker, this man was responsible for stage pyrotechnics used during performances and held the necessary professional permits. A separate source close to the services told PAP that officers are also checking whether he might have been a private collector of such items. These versions are currently being verified.

Throughout the day, police teams carried out systematic checks of the basement and adjoining rooms to ensure that no further dangerous materials were present. Officers stressed that the inspections were detailed and time-consuming but essential to guarantee the future safety of staff and visitors. The theatre was temporarily closed to the public during these operations.

Police later reported that the on-site activities had been completed and that all suspicious objects had been secured. Investigators are now focusing on clarifying how and why the explosive device and related materials were stored in the building, whether they were ever used or prepared for use outside of stage work, and confirming their exact origin. So far, there is no information suggesting any injuries or that the discovery was linked to a planned attack.

The incident has drawn attention in Poland because it took place in a public cultural institution and involved real explosives, not only theatrical props. For observers abroad, it highlights how Polish services respond to potential security threats: by rapid evacuation, isolating the site, deploying trained bomb units, and opening a formal investigation to establish all the circumstances.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a language school dedicated to teaching Polish, where each Polish language course is delivered online to support learners at different levels.