Several people injured when a facade wall collapsed in downtown Budapest – VIDEO, UPDATE

A facade wall and roofing elements fell onto the street and parked cars in the centre of Budapest on Monday morning. MTI reports that several people were injured, many cars were damaged and five vehicles were completely flattened.

Máté Kisdi, a spokesman for the Budapest Disaster Management Directorate, told MTI that the collapse started from the roof of a five-storey building at the intersection of Aradi and Jókai streets in the 6th district, and carried away the balconies’ cornices below, with debris falling onto cars parked on Jókai Street and onto the road.

Firefighters searched the damaged cars with search dogs, but found no one in them, nor in the damaged apartments,” the spokesperson added.

The National Directorate General of Disaster Management said that the area had been closed off with the cooperation of the co-authorities.

Rescue operations are still ongoing at the site, the section of Jókai Street between Aradi and Dessewffy Streets and the section between Aradi Street No. 1-5 have been closed. According to police.hu, the Budapest Police Headquarters is investigating the incident with the involvement of experts in the framework of a criminal investigation on suspicion of occupational endangerment.

According to our information, at least six ambulances have arrived on the scene, and units of the emergency services and the police are also on the scene.