19 March 2007: Shells on the beach

Anyone finding a shell on the beach of one of Switzerland’s lakes, for example the picturesque Lake Lucerne, had better watch out - it may be the explosive kind.

About 10,000 tonnes of surplus or disused artillery shells, grenades and bullets were placed underwater in several Swiss lakes between 1918 and 1960, mostly because storing them underwater was safer than keeping them on land. The underwater trove also includes gas masks, barbed wire, field kitchens and dumped items such as crashed aircraft.

The Swiss defence ministry says it has reached an agreement with local authorities not to fish up the arsenals, though they will monitor water quality.