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Funeral plans for Polish president

Summary

12 April 2010

The Polish government is expected to announce details of President Kaczynski's funeral arrangements. The president, with his wife and other government staff members, died in a plane crash on Saturday.

Reporter:

Duncan Kennedy

Summary:

The pavement in front of President Kaczynski's palace in central Warsaw has nearly disappeared from sight, covered now with thousands of small glass pots containing candles laid as a mark of respect. The president's body has been brought back from Russia and is due to lie in state later today. More details of the funeral arrangements are expected over the next day or so.

Poland's health minister has said that only 14 of the 96 victims of Saturday's air crash in Russia are identifiable. Crash investigators say data from the flight recorders appear to show there was no technical fault on the plane, suggesting pilot error may have been a factor in the crash.

Among those to have died was the president's wife, Maria. There's no precedent for a dual funeral involving a head of state and his first lady, so it's unclear if they will have a joint or separate ceremony.

Poland's top military leadership was among those who lost their lives, though their first deputies have taken over any immediate duties meaning that the country's armed forces are operating normally. Many other national institutions cannot yet say that, after a disaster that removed a vast cross-section of the country's public servants.

Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Warsaw