It was lost while being transported to Perth. It is 6 millimeters in diameter and 8 millimeters high, and contains a “small amount” of the substance Cesium-137.
Western Australia emergency services seek a small but potentially deadly radioactive capsule which was lost while being transported by truck from a mine to a warehouse in the city of Perth.
The tiny element has 6 millimeters in diameter and 8 in heightand contains a “small amount” of the radioactive substance Cesium-137, used in mining.
As explained by the Western Australia Department of Health, he disappeared north of the town of Newman between January 10 and 16. However, only on the 25th of this month did the cargo inspectors realize that one of the packages they transported was broken and one of those tiny capsules had been lost on the way.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued an alert to residents of various areas of Australia’s largest state, warning of the risks of exposure to this toxic substance, including “radiation burns or radiation sickness“like cancer.
“The capsule it is small, round and silver. The risk to the community at large is relatively low, however it is important to be aware of the risks and know what to do if you see the capsule.”
It was also warned that, in case of sighting any suspicious material, people should keep at least five meters away, do not touch it, do not keep it in bags or backpacks and not take it to their cars, but report it “immediately” to the authorities.
a complicated search
Emergency services said they were hampered by the lack of equipment and they asked the Commonwealth of Nations and other countries for help.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services deployed teams with portable radiation detection devices and metal detectors along a 22-mile (36-kilometer) busy freight highway to search for the unit, which believed to have fallen from the back of a truck on a 1,400 kilometer journey, from the Rio Tinto mine in Newman to Malaga, a suburb of Perth.
“What we do is trying to find a tiny device by sightsaid Superintendent Darryl Ray. The teams were concentrating on populated areas in north Perth and strategic sites along the Great Northern Highway, he added. “We use the radiation detectors to locate gamma rays,” the official added.
Authorities were also analyzing GPS data from the truck to determine the exact route the driver took and where he stopped after leaving the mine around January 10.
There are fears that the solid capsule has become embedded in another vehicle’s tire and is possibly hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the search area.
It is believed that a screw came loose inside a lead lined caliper and the unit fell through a hole.
From the Rio Tinto mine, he said he hired an expert in handling radioactive materials to package the capsule and transport it “safely” to the warehouse and it was not until Wednesday that he was informed of its disappearance.
Health chief Andrew Robertson defended the Western Australian government’s decision to wait two days before informing the public on Friday, saying they had to search the mine and warehouse to exclude them, and confirm the route.
With information from EFE and AP.
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