It concluded that the about 3,500 tonnes of ammunition and several hundred tonnes of explosives stored at an underground site of Mitholz in the Bernese Oberland are a bigger danger than previously assumed.
The defence ministry said it was reassuring to read the findings of the report that was commissioned by the ministry while it reinforced monitoring of the stockpile with video and thermal cameras as well as gas detectors.
It also set up an expert panel to study possible scenarios to eliminate or reduce the risk of explosion.
The local population has called for the site from the Second World War to be cleared.
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 trans-alpine railway tunnel, exploded and killed nine people.
More
More
When the night exploded – 70 years ago
This content was published on
Seventy years ago, something went “boom” in the night in the town of Kandersteg in the Bernese Alps.
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Swiss government aims to remain in dialogue with US on tariffs
This content was published on
The Swiss government said on Thursday it would pursue talks with the US as well as examining relief measures for affected companies.
The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival opens
This content was published on
On Wednesday evening, Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider officially opened Switzerland’s premier film festival.
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)
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.