A devastating fire ripped through a worker dormitory in Budakeszi, a suburb just west of Budapest, in the early hours of Friday, resulting in a tragic loss of life and numerous injuries. Hungarian disaster management authorities confirmed that the inferno, which engulfed the two-story structure, claimed the lives of three individuals and left nearly two dozen others wounded.
Emergency services mounted a large-scale response, deploying over 40 paramedics and 18 emergency vehicles to the scene. Firefighters battling the blaze successfully rescued multiple survivors and removed three gas cylinders from the compromised building. The victims—two men and one woman—were tragically discovered beneath the collapsed roof, according to officials.
During a subsequent news conference, representatives from the Pest County Police Headquarters revealed that their preliminary investigation points to a probable explosion within one of the rooms as the catalyst for the fire. The spokesperson further disclosed that initial inspections uncovered several regulatory violations within the building, specifically highlighting unauthorized and non-compliant gas usage practices.
In light of these findings, authorities have initiated a full criminal investigation to determine the exact circumstances and liabilities surrounding the incident. Medical teams provided urgent care to 22 injured persons at the site, with four individuals sustaining injuries so severe they were classified as life-threatening. All those harmed in the incident have been transferred to eight separate hospitals across Budapest for specialized medical treatment and continued care.