Bomb threats disrupt schools across Hungary, authorities investigate

This article was originally published in Hungarian

Emails containing a bomb threat were sent to multiple educational institutions in Hungary on Thursday morning, causing them to temporarily shut down out of precaution, the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) said.

The threats have affected a total of 121 schools nationwide, prompting an investigation by the authorities. So far, no bombs have been found at schools searched, domestic media reported.

In the letter described by the police and later made public by domestic outlets, an unidentified person threatened to attack “every gathering place, every landmark” in what they said was a violent extremist plot organised by an unnamed “caliphate”.

Gergely Gulyás, Minister Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed the email’s veracity. The contents of the letter could not be independently verified by Euronews.

“What I think is more likely is we’re dealing with a mentally ill person,” Gulyás said at a press conference on Thursday.

Although the letters were sent through a foreign server, investigators will find the perpetrator, Gulyás said.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony reacted to the news of the bomb threats in a post on his Facebook page, stating that the Hungarian capital’s public transportation company has sent out buses to schools to act as temporary shelters while authorities search the premises.

The Metropolitan Police is working closely with the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) to deal with the situation, Karácsony added.

Hungarian authorities said that they have also reached out for assistance to neighbouring Slovakia, where a similar mass bomb threat happened in recent times.

Over the past two years, a slew of bomb threats, particularly against schools, shopping centres and airports, have affected the Czech Republic, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia as well, shutting down operations and causing logistical issues. All of them turned out to be a hoax.