Police officers hospitalized after explosion in downtown Budapest

Two police officers were hospitalized with serious injuries they sustained in an explosion in downtown Budapest Saturday night, according to Hungarian media.

Internet news portal Origo said the blast, which occurred at around 11 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) in a ground floor store on the city's main ring road, shook the entire building and broke windows of nearby houses.

Apart from the two police officers, others may also have been hurt, Origo reported.

There had been no subsequent fires, but firefighters were searching the building for fire hazards, said the Hungarian national disaster management authority.

Police, firefighters and explosives experts were on the scene but gave no official information to the media, MTI wire service reported.

Police emptied the apartments, restaurants, night clubs, and hotels in the area, MTI and Origo reported.

Television channel M1 suggested that the explosion was a deliberate criminal act, but did not elaborate.

Source : XINHUA