Bomb Threats Disrupt Hungarian Schools, Affecting Thousands

BUDAPEST – Hundreds of schools across Hungary were evacuated on Jan 23 following bomb threats sent via email, impacting tens of thousands of students nationwide. Officials reported that 268 educational institutions, mostly in Budapest, were targeted.

Interior Ministry official Bence Retvari confirmed there was “no direct risk of a bomb attack” after thorough inspections. Students and staff were allowed to return to the schools once authorities deemed them safe.

Hungarian police have launched an investigation into the threats and are collaborating with counterparts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, where similar “Islamist” threats have been reported previously. The EU’s police agency, Europol, is also assisting in the probe, which focuses on charges of “endangering public safety.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, stated it was too soon to determine a motive, citing the ongoing investigation.

The incident follows a pattern of bomb threats targeting schools in the region. Slovak institutions faced over 1,000 threats in May 2024, while hundreds of schools in the Czech Republic and Slovakia were disrupted by similar threats in September 2024. Czech authorities have been investigating potential “Russian influence” in those cases.

This latest wave of threats has raised concerns about regional security and the disruption caused to education systems across Central and Eastern Europe.