TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Parallels are being drawn between Taiwan and Ukraine, and the buzz has prompted some Taiwanese to seek information on the nearest air-raid shelters where they could take cover in the event of a cross-strait conflict.
The country currently has about 105,000 bomb shelters, with a total capacity of 86.65 million people, CNA reported, citing the latest tally released by the National Police Agency (NPA) on Tuesday (March 1). The Cabinet has stressed that information about the shelters is published every year.
The Cabinet has also downplayed any comparison with Ukraine, citing differences between the two countries, such as strategic importance.
Most of the garages and other underground spaces of both public and private buildings in Taiwan have been designated as a shelter in the event of a drill, a war, or another scenario where the Ministry of Defense has ordered an evacuation. The exact location of such facilities can be accessed via Google Maps on the NPA website.
Taipei alone boasts 26,000 sites that can accommodate up to 21 million residents, and navigation is easy using the Taipei City Police Department (北市警政) app, per ETToday. If their mobile devices are inaccessible during an emergency, people can always seek shelter in the nearest public facility, such as a bank, underground mall, or metro station.
Location of shelters in Taipei's Shilin District. (NPA screenshot)
