Key Points
Bomb threats target 44 schools nationwide across Budapest and rural areas
Police investigate under terrorism-related criminal code
No explosives discovered during school inspections
Follows similar incident last week involving school evacuations
Among the affected institutions, 13 are in Budapest, while 31 are in rural areas.
Police responded to all locations and implemented necessary security measures.
"No explosives or devices capable of detonation have been found in the buildings inspected so far," the police said in a statement. The National Bureau of Investigation of the Rapid Response Police is continuing its inquiry into the threats.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony stated that city institutions stand ready to assist law enforcement. "Budapest's companies and institutions are prepared to provide all necessary support to the police," he wrote on Facebook.
The latest bomb threats follow a similar incident last week when at least 292 schools in Budapest and surrounding areas were evacuated due to reported threats, Xinhua news agency reported.
Authorities have not confirmed any connection between the latest threats and the previous incidents, although in both cases, emails were used to deliver the alarms.
After the police operation, classes resumed in the affected schools.
"A threatening e-mail was received by several educational institutions on the evening of January 30, 2025. According to current data, 44 institutions nationwide - 13 in Budapest and 31 in the countryside - were affected. The police immediately began the necessary measures, and no explosives or explosive devices were found in the buildings inspected so far. The National Investigation Bureau of the Emergency Police is continuing its investigation into the threat," read a statement issued by the Hungarian Police.
Police Colonel Kristof Gal, head of the Hungarian National Police (ORFK) Communications Service, said: "The investigation is continuing under Section 316 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the person for making a threat to commit a terrorist act. The reclassification of the crime does not indicate that the threat level in our country has increased."
