UPDATE – Police looking for young suspect in central Budapest blast

Budapest, September 25 (MTI) – Police are looking for a suspect in their early twenties who targeted two police officers in a bomb attack in central Budapest last night, the national chief of police said on Sunday evening.

Two police officers, a 23-year-old woman, and a 26-year-old man, were injured when walking past a ground-level shop near the Grand Boulevard, doing their regular rounds, at 10.36 pm on Saturday, Károly Papp told a press conference. The two police officers were hospitalised with life-threatening and serious injuries, and have since been stabilised, but are still in intensive care, he said.

A homemade shrapnel bomb was used in the explosion. Police are looking for a suspect aged 20-25 and 170 centimetres in height, who was wearing a light-coloured fishing cap, a dark canvas jacket, blue jeans and white trainers, he said, adding that there is a 10 million forint (EUR 32,600) reward for providing useful information on the suspect.

Police has been gathering evidence on site and hearing witnesses, and they have asked the general public to come forward with any information they might have on the attack.

The blast on the corner of Király street and Teréz boulevard was reported at 10.36pm on Saturday, police said earlier. Police closed off the area and ascertained that there were no other injured persons, a police report said.

Parliament’s national security committee has been convened for Monday morning to hear reports from authorities about the possible causes of the accident. Zsolt Molnár, the head of the committee and a Socialist lawmaker, asked people to “refrain from speculations or panic-mongering”.

Attila Ladócsi, an explosives expert, told public news channel M1 that the blast was “definitely not a gas explosion”. He said it is “absolutely certain” that an explosive device has been detonated.

Photos: MTI

Source: MTI