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.
Swiss cantons have killed 39 wolves so far this autumn
This content was published on
In mid-November, 35 packs of three or more wolves were detected in Switzerland. At least eight of them may be eliminated during the current hunting season. So far, at least 39 wolves have been shot in Graubünden, Valais, Vaud and St. Gallen.
This content was published on
Pierre-Yves Maillard, president of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation, sees no agreement in sight in negotiations with the European Union.
This content was published on
The "Dubai chocolate" has also caused a rush in Switzerland: queues formed outside the Lindt chocolate factory in Kilchberg, canton Zurich, on Saturday morning.
This content was published on
Stargazers currently have the chance to spot shooting stars in the night sky. Until November 30, the Leonid meteor shower is lighting up the darkness.
Nationalisation suggested to save Red Cross Museum
This content was published on
The director of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva is calling for a national debate on the institution's future.
Climate: 224 Swiss companies announce CO2 reduction targets
This content was published on
A total of 224 companies from Switzerland have joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing to CO2 reduction targets that are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
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.