How to survive a nuclear blast

It is common knowledge that in the event of a nuclear blast, people should immediately seek cover in nearby buildings so as to minimise death.

However, the staying period has always been unclear.

Now, scientist Michael Dillon of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California claims to have devised the 'optimal shelter exit time' to reduce the risk of fatal exposure, News24 reported.

Dillon has calculated that people should remain in their initial, poor-quality refuge no longer than half and hour after detonation if a proper shelter is 15 minutes away, but if the better shelter is just 5 minutes away, people should forego the closer altogether and move there.

The study is published in the British scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A.