Parcel bomb attack on Swiss nuclear group

Two women were injured when a parcel bomb exploded in the offices of the lobby group Swissnuclear in the northern city of Olten yesterday. The Swissnuclear employees were taken to hospital with superficial burns and hearing damage.

Switzerland has just suspended the approvals process for three new nuclear power stations so that safety standards can be reviewed in the light of the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Swissnuclear says it works to promote the safe and efficient use of nuclear power and represents utilities that run the nuclear plants which produce about 40 per cent of Swiss electricity.

Olten is also home to the headquarters of the energy firm Alpiq, where about 50 Greenpeace protesters held a demonstration yesterday calling for the company to withdraw its application to build a nuclear plant.