Estonia will have expanded its bomb shelter program to cater to over half the country’s population by 2034, the country’s Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets has revealed.
The plan will include the adaptation of cellars in existing buildings so they are bomb-proof and capable of accommodating people for considerable lengths of time.
According to Laanemets, Estonia needs another 10 years of planning and funding to reach the planned capacity of 730,000. The shelters have to be able to protect people from shock waves and shrapnel and will be required to have power generators, toilets, ventilation, and access to water.
Estonia’s population of 1.3 million currently has fewer than 100 bomb shelters in public places that could absorb 50,000 people. The population of Tallinn alone numbers half a million.
In Finland, which has a population of 5.5 million, there are currently 54,000 of all types of shelters that can accommodate 4.4 million people. The first of these was built in the 1930s.
The more modern shelters with ventilation, protection from gas, and radioactive substances started to be built in the 1970s.
