Explore nuclear shelters of countries around the world

1. Nuclear bomb shelter in Japan

Seiichiro Nishimoto, CEO of Shelter, wears a gas mask in a simulated nuclear shelter built in the basement of his home in Osaka, western Japan.

The Japanese are world-famous for their unique and practical inventions. With the increasing threats to daily life, Mr. Kenji Oribe, who lives in Suma, designed and built a "nuclear shelter" model right under his house.

Accordingly, this "nuclear shelter" was researched and constructed by him within 6 months. The ceiling and walls of the shelter are made of 19-inch thick reinforced concrete. This helps the shelter to withstand bombs of the same class as "Little Boy", the bomb that Hiroshima suffered in 1945, killing 129,000 people.

2. Nuclear shelter with capacity for 2,700 people in Russia

A staff member is demonstrating how to put on radiation protection gear. The shelter includes equipment such as a diesel generator, water pump, radiation and chemical protection gear, and wooden beds for sleeping...

In addition to underground structures for high-ranking leaders, Russia is also believed to have built nuclear shelters with large war room capacity. Nuclear shelter No. 1 in Moscow is a typical example. This underground bunker can shelter 2,700 people in case of a nuclear attack disaster.

Russia's nuclear shelter is located at a depth of nearly 200m underground with steel walls more than 0.6m thick, nuclear shelter No. 1 is considered "inviolable" if a nuclear war becomes a reality. If going down to the bunker, each person has a ration of 3 meals and 3 liters of water per day. The bunker is also equipped with air conditioning, 75 toilets and a large bathroom, enough for 200 people to bathe at the same time.

In addition to underground bunkers, many public buildings in Russia are also tasked with sheltering people in the event of a nuclear war. In October 2016, the management of Zenit Arena, a large-scale stadium being built in St. Petersburg, Russia to prepare for the 2018 World Cup, received a request from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations to quickly prepare safe shelters for people in the event of a nuclear war.

3. China's top secret nuclear shelter

The corridor was deep and completely dark.

The nuclear bunker is located 2km deep under the Xishan National Forest Park, 20km northwest of Beijing. This is a safe evacuation place for China's top leaders in the event of a nuclear war.

The nuclear fallout shelter is a system of underground tunnels and caves the size of a small city, with a stable supply of clean water for 1 million people in the event of an emergency evacuation due to nuclear war.

The main entrance to the facility, located not far from Beijing, would allow Chinese leaders to quickly reach the safe haven from Zhongnanhai. The government would be able to maintain operations from inside the bunker.

Compared with other famous nuclear shelters such as Raven Rock Mountain Complex in Pennsylvania or Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado in the US, the shelter at Xishan Park has a significant advantage due to its special location, quickly ensuring the safety of China's top officials.

4. American nuclear war shelter

The equipment in this nearly half-decade-old basement appears to be intact. Photo: Mirror

Built in 1967, this bomb shelter is capable of withstanding a nuclear war. It was built to house five people. Although isolated from the outside world, they still maintain lines of communication in case of a nuclear war.

The front wall of the bunker is 1 meter thick, the roof is more than 0.5 meter thick and the concrete floor is more than 0.6 meter thick. Industrial water springs were also built around the bunker to help withstand the shock waves from the explosion.

The shelter has a 200kW generator, massive air intake tunnels, and a custom ventilation system with radiation filters to be used in the event of a nuclear disaster. The primary purpose of the shelter is to protect against shock waves and super high pressure. It can also protect against radioactive fallout for a certain period of time.

5. Nuclear shelter in England

The UK's nuclear bunker is hidden in a house on a quiet street on the outskirts of York.

This underground structure was built by the British government in 1961 to prepare for a "doomsday" scenario in case of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.

It is understood that 60 members of the Royal Armed Forces and a team of leading scientific advisers were responsible for running the operation.this nuclear shelter.

The doors of the bunker are blast-proof. There are about 20 beds in the two dormitories of the secret bunker. This serves as the “brain” of the bunker in case of a possible (nuclear) attack.

The bunker was closed in 1991 at the end of the Cold War and reopened to the public in 2006.

The Pyongyang Metro is about 24km long with 17 stations and 2 tracks. (Source: Sputnik)

In the event of a nuclear attack, the Pyongyang Metro, the world's deepest train station, could be considered a safe haven for North Koreans.

North Korea has a subway system located more than 100 meters underground. This is also one of the deepest stations in the world today. This train station was built starting in 1968 and inaugurated in 1973 under the leadership of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.

The train station has an average depth of 100m, but there are also sections that are as deep as 150m. At such depths, the average temperature is always around 18°C ​​all year round. In addition to being a public transport hub, this train station, which is more than 100m deep, could also become a safe haven in case the current tensions between the US and North Korea escalate into a full-scale war.

7. Swiss nuclear shelter

A nuclear bomb shelter is located in an apartment building in Switzerland, with a 20cm thick door.

Switzerland is the only country in the world that has a system of nuclear bomb-proof bunkers for its entire population, even though they may never need to use them.

This shelter system is equipped with 20cm thick armored doors and a ventilation system capable of filtering gas, these are temporary homes for people in case of emergency, conventional war or nuclear war.

Every apartment in Switzerland, whether rented or sold, comes with a cellar. In peacetime, these cellars are used by the people as small warehouses.

Swissinfo statistics show that the Swiss spend the most in the world (more than 20% of their income) to ensure their safety against all external threats. And this has been legalized.