People are concerned there may not be space for them in a nuclear shelter if needed.
More people are asking the authorities where they should go if needed. The law, dating back to the Cold War, says everyone should have a shelter space within a 30-minute walking distance from their home – an hour if they live in the mountains.
There are enough spaces for everyone in the country – but the allocations are imbalanced. The 365,000 bunkers in the country can hold 9 million people. But Geneva doesn’t have enough for all its residents – it can only handle around 75%.
Many are being used for storage or temporary accommodation. But the law states they need to be cleared within 5 days or less.
But shelters will only offer temporary protection in case of a limited nuclear exchange or radiation leakage from a power plant.
A Federal Defence Department spokesman says no country can protect itself from a large-scale nuclear war.
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