Budapest, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A letter bomb exploded at a policestation in Pecs, South Hungary, on Thursday, causing injuries to a police officer, county police chief Ferenc Sarkozi told the press.

    The explosive was hidden in a matchbox. It went off after a police officer removed it from the premises and placed it on the ground of the courtyard, Sarkozi said.

    The policeman suffered surface injuries on his face and hands. The bomb's strength was equivalent to two firecrackers, Sarkozi said.

    Online new portal Index.hu, quoting police official Agnes Murai,said this morning a local businessman came to the station to report a case of blackmail. The bomb was an attachment to a letterhe had received. He claimed to have been blackmailed for the sum of 3 million forints (about 15,000 U.S. dollars).