Denmark inventory bunkers

If Danes needed to take shelter underground in the event of war or disaster, there would be enough space for 3.6 million people, or 61% of the population, local media reported on July 18.

Citing the results of an inventory conducted by authorities over the past two years, Danish daily Jyllands-Posten said the number of shelters and bunkers in the Nordic country has decreased compared to the previous assessment in 2002, when 4.7 million suitable locations for the purpose were found.

The 2002 inventory was initiated in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, while the 2022 inventory comes amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Bunkers, public shelters, and underground annexes such as annexes under public garages or basements are among the spaces that can be used in an emergency.

The entrance to an underground shelter in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix

Of the total 3.6 million spaces, 3.4 million are in bunkers that can be prepared if needed, the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) stated on its website.

The agency distinguishes between sikringsrum, a specially built bunker, and beskyttelsesrum, or "safe rooms" inside regular buildings that can be used as shelters in the event of an airstrike or other event that makes remaining in the rest of the building unsafe.

Some rooms are used for other purposes in peacetime and will have to be prepared for emergencies. Meanwhile, many state-owned bunkers are in disrepair and will need to be repaired to be usable.

"They need to be checked for water supply conditions and mould and that will be expensive," Lars Robetje, deputy head of the National Emergency Services Organization, told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Mr Robetje explained that many of the bunkers were sealed World War II constructions. “For Denmark, politically , the war ended in the 2000s, and immediately after that, all the money we spent on maintenance and upkeep of the concrete bunkers was canceled,” he said.

State-owned bunkers are under the auspices of the municipalities, which are therefore responsible for their maintenance. Local law requires that local authorities be able to make such sites available on orders from the Danish Ministry of the Interior .

“I am not a military analyst, but as an expert in the emergency services field, I can say that there are many other things we should focus on before considering concrete bunkers,” said Mr Robetje.

“For example, the threat of hybrid war could impact our energy supply or data traffic.”

Earlier, a statement from the Danish Foreign Ministry said: "The current military security assessment does not indicate a military threat to Denmark. As the shelters are expected to be used by citizens in connection with war activities in Denmark, there is no urgent need to prepare bunkers and safe rooms."

However, the agency warned its citizens that if nuclear emissions from Ukraine spread to Denmark, they should stay indoors to avoid the risk of radiation exposure. "In the event of a nuclear release, bunkers would not provide additional protection," the statement added.

Entrance to the Danish Cold War Museum REGAN Vest. Photo: Visit Denmark

Notably, Denmark also has a top-secret nuclear shelter built during the height of the Cold War.

Built 60 meters underground in limestone, this declassified nuclear bunker (NATO Cosmic Top Secret) serves as the Danish monarch and government's final bastion of democracy in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.

The bunker, located deep in the Rold Forest in northern Jutland, hundreds of miles from Copenhagen, was kept secret for decades and only revealed to the public in 2012. The bunker is set to open as a museum in February 2023.

Construction of the REGAN Vest began in 1963. It took about five years to build a shelter capable of withstanding a nuclear war. The resulting bunker covers an area of ​​5,500 square meters and is made up of more than 230 rooms that can accommodate about 350 people.

Minh Duc (According to The Local Denmark, Anadolu, Atlas Obscura)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/dan-mach-kiem-ke-boong-ke-san-sang-cho-dan-tru-an-khi-co-chien-tranh-204240720214439261.htm