A search operation began today, Saturday, in the state of Western Australia, aimed at finding a small radioactive capsule that was lost during its transportation from a mine, amid a state of alert.
The emergency authority stated that the silver capsule, which does not exceed 8 centimeters in size, and is used in mineral extraction operations, has been missing since mid-January.
Image showing the size of the capsule and comparing it to the size of an Australian coin
The capsule contains radioactive material, cesium 137, according to the Ministry of Health in Western Australia.
It is likely that the capsule fell from a truck that was transporting it to a storage site.
Health authorities warned that any handling of the capsule could cause burns or injuries.
The emergency authority indicated that the capsule went missing between the remote Newman area and the northern suburbs of Perth, within a distance of about 1,400 km.
The route taken by the truck from which the capsule fell
Western Australia’s director of medical services, Dr Andrew Robertson, said: “The concern is that someone could pick it up without knowing how to deal with it.”
A spokesman for the rescue authority stated that searches for the capsule are taking place specifically in populated areas, explaining that this may take weeks.
He added that the authorities were informed on Wednesday of the missing capsule, after the company responsible for it realized that it was missing.