Introduction
When most people think of bunkers, they think of a safe place to go in the event of a natural disaster or nuclear war. But the truth is, underground bunkers can be incredibly dangerous places. Here are just a few of the ways they can kill you.
- Asphyxiation
If there is a fire in an underground bunker, the lack of ventilation can make it incredibly difficult to breathe. In fact, it’s possible to die from asphyxiation even if there isn’t a fire, if the air in the bunker becomes too stale.
- Starvation
If you’re trapped in an underground bunker for an extended period of time, you may eventually starve to death. This is especially true if the bunker doesn’t have a good supply of food and water.
- dehydration
Even if there is food in the bunker, you may not be able to eat it if you’re dehydrated. Without enough water, your body will slowly start to shut down, and you will eventually die.
- exposure
If the bunker is not properly insulated, you may eventually succumb to exposure. This is particularly true in cold weather climates where hypothermia can set in and kill you within hours.
Asphyxiation
One of the biggest dangers in an underground bunker is asphyxiation. Most bunkers are not big enough to allow for proper ventilation, which means that carbon dioxide can quickly build up, leading to unconsciousness and death. It’s important to have a plan for ventilation in your bunker, whether that means using a generator to power a fan or making sure that there is an air vent to the outside.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
One of the most common ways people die in underground bunkers is from carbon monoxide poisoning. This can happen for a number of reasons, including using generators or lanterns that produce carbon monoxide, or simply from car exhaust seeping into the bunker.
Carbon monoxide is a gas that is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, so it’s impossible to know if there is any present without a carbon monoxide detector. If you are using any type of fuel-burning device in your bunker, make sure you have a detector and that it is properly placed and maintained.
Flooding
One of the most common ways that underground bunkers can kill you is through flooding. Bunkers are designed to be watertight, but if they are not maintained properly, water can seep in and cause the structure to collapse. Flooding can also occur if the bunker is located in an area prone to flooding or if the bunker is damaged during a natural disaster.
Starvation/Dehydration
One of the main ways people die in bunkers is from starvation or dehydration. If you are stuck in a bunker with no food or water, you will eventually die. Even if you have food and water, if you don’t have enough to last the amount of time you are planning on being in the bunker, you will also die. It is important to have a plan for food and water before going into a bunker.
Another way people can die in bunkers is from hypothermia. If the temperature in the bunker is too cold, people can get hypothermia and die. This is why it is important to have a plan for heating and cooling before going into a bunker.
People can also die in bunkers from carbon monoxide poisoning. If there is a generator in the bunker that is not vented properly, carbon monoxide can build up and kill people. This is why it is important to have a plan for ventilation before going into a bunker.
Finally, people can also die in bunkers from being crushed. If the roof of the bunker collapses, people can be crushed by the debris. This is why it is important to have a plan for reinforcing the roof of the bunker before going into it.
Infectious Diseases
There are a number of infectious diseases that can be contracted from exposure to rodents and other animals in underground bunkers. Hantavirus, for example, is a disease that is carried by mice and rats and can be deadly to humans. Other diseases that can be contracted from exposure to rodents include Salmonellosis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), and Leptospirosis.
Mental Illness
Mental illness is one of the most common ways people can die in underground bunkers. Studies have shown that people who are isolated for long periods of time are more likely to develop mental illness. The symptoms of mental illness can include depression, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. These symptoms can lead to self-harm or even suicide.
Suicide
In addition to the risks of starvation, dehydration, and radiation exposure, there is also the risk of suicide in an underground bunker. People who are sealed into a small space with no hope of rescue may see suicide as the only way out. If there are guns or other weapons in the bunker, people may use them to take their own lives.
There have been several famous cases of people killing themselves in bunkers, including the famous case of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. In 1993, Koresh and his followers barricaded themselves into a compound and began a siege that lasted 51 days. When the siege ended, Koresh and 76 other people were dead, many of them by suicide.
More recently, in 2015, a family of four killed themselves in their underground bunker inmediate days after their food supply ran out. The father had been stockpiling food and supplies for years, but he apparently miscalculated how long it would last. When it ran out, the family had no way to get more and no way to contact the outside world for help. In desperation, they took their own lives.