Unconfirmed reports from Hungarian capital suggest incident was caused by device in bag left at the scene

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A large explosion “of unknown origin” rocked a building in Budapest late on Saturday, injuring two passing police officers, authorities have said.

The blast occurred at 10.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT) inside or beside a ground floor shop on a major intersection, a police statement said on Sunday, which added that two police officers on patrol were injured and taken to hospital.

The cause of the blast remains unconfirmed, although a news report on public television said security cameras had recorded a bag being left at the scene shortly before the explosion.

Unconfirmed police sources also told local media that an investigation had been launched into attempted murder. Initial witness accounts said the large blast sounded like a gas explosion, although Hungary’s rescue agency said no fires were caused.

Eyewitnesses also posted pictures on social media of nails scattered on the road at the scene. A homemade bomb was likely to have been behind the blast, the explosives expert Attila Ladocsi told M1 television.

Police are to give a detailed account of the investigation later on Sunday, a government spokesperson, Bence Tuzson, told the MTI news agency.

A session of the national security parliamentary committee has been convened for Monday, its chair said.

The explosion, which was heard across large parts of the Hungarian capital, damaged ground floor walls of the building and blew out building and car windows at the scene.

“There was a big explosion, lots of smoke, and the window of the hostel I was staying in nearby was smashed,” an American tourist told M1.

The surrounding area was cordoned off by police who evacuated buildings at the scene, one of the main thoroughfares of the city. Forensic personnel combed the area for clues, while police carried out door-to-door inquiries with residents.

Hungary is holding a referendum on 2 October on the EU’s quota plan for the mandatory relocation of migrants.

The campaign has been marked by fears over public security, and government posters that have strongly linked migration and migrants to terrorism.