Monitoring to be reinforced at former munitions depot
The Swiss government has announced that it will reinforce monitoring of the former Mitholz ammunition stockpile in the Bernese Oberland. Authorities hope to reduce or eliminate the risk of explosion by mid-2020.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/swissinfo.ch/cl
External sensors are currently being installed, and video and thermal cameras will also be made available on the site. At the beginning of next year, a system will also be installed to measure escaping gas.
While increased monitoring is necessary, immediate action to protect the local population is not needed. Residents must, however, prepare a cellar where they could spend at least a day in case of emergency, authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
In July this year, local residents were shocked to learn that the site, which was used to store some 7,000 tonnes of raw ammunition during the Second World War, could still present a danger to the public. Some 3,500 tonnes of ammunition are still believed to lie dormant.
The Mitholz site was the scene of a tragedy in 1947, when the depot, which consisted of six rooms under a mountain connected by a railway tunnel, exploded and killed nine people.
According to a risk assessment by the defence ministry, rockfalls, collapse, and self-ignition of explosives are an ongoing risk and could cause further damage.
More
More
No clearance of former munitions stockpile in sight
This content was published on
In July 2018, residents of the mountain village were shocked to find out that an ammunition storage site that had exploded 70 years earlier, could still present a danger to the public. The people who live here feel that action isn’t being taken quickly enough, and they’re worried about the future. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
The ministry’s latest environmental impact survey drew the same conclusions as predecessors in 2008 and 2012 – namely that the munitions were not leaking and the water contained toxins of such minute levels that the water is safe to drink. In 2012, it concluded that it is better to leave the munitions where they are…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.