More than 240 schools in Hungary have been targeted with bomb threats leading to evacuations across the country, the government has said.
The country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised authorities will find whoever is responsible for the hoaxes, which were sent in emails to the schools on Thursday morning.
Hungary’s Interior Ministry said “during searches, no explosives or explosive devices were found in the buildings inspected so far”.
Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said “at least 20 schools” in the capital Budapest were among those to receive the threats, which were “written in poor Hungarian, likely using Google Translate”.
Mayors around the country announced emergency measures, opening temporary facilities for pupils and teachers unable to return home, said Mr Kovacs. “Meals are being provided, and parents are urged to stay informed and assist where possible.
“The police confirmed that identical emails were sent to multiple schools and have launched an investigation into the threats under the Penal Code's section on public endangerment. The National Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry, with regional units instructed to collaborate urgently.”
Mr Kovacs said the hoaxes “bear an uncanny resemblance to last year's threats on more than 1,000 schools and institutions in Slovakia”.
Last May, emails from an anonymous sender began arriving at 5am one school morning, claiming explosives had been stored in hundreds of schools spanning eight regions of Slovakia, which neighbours Hungary.
Police teams with sniffer dogs and bomb disposal experts were called out repeatedly across the country, including to 110 banks and 40 electrical shops that had also received the bomb threats.
