Western Australia emergency services seek a small but potentially deadly radioactive capsule lost while being trucked from a mine to a warehouse in the city of Perth.
The small element has 6 mm in diameter and 8 in heightand contains a “small amount” of the radioactive substance Cesium-137, used in mining.
As explained by the Western Australian Department of Health, he disappeared north of the town of Newman between 10 and 16 January. However, it was only on the 25th of this month that cargo inspectors noticed one of the parcels they were carrying was broken and one of those tiny capsules was lost along the way.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued an advisory 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 wider community 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 if suspicious material were sighted, people should hold on at least five meters away, don’t touch it, don’t hold it in bags or backpacks and do not take it in the car, but report it “immediately” to the authorities.
a complicated search
Emergency services said they were hampered by the lack of equipment and they asked for help from the Commonwealth of Nations and other countries.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services deployed teams with portable radiation detectors and metal detectors along a busy 22-mile (36-kilometer) highway to search for the unit, which believed to have fallen off the back of a truck on a journey of 1,400 kilometres, from the Rio Tinto mine to Newman in Malaga, a suburb of Perth.
“What we do is trying to find a small sight devicesaid Superintendent Darryl Ray. The teams were focusing on populated areas north of Perth and strategic sites along the Great Northern Highway, he added. “We use radiation detectors to locate gamma rays,” the official added.
Authorities were also analyzing the truck’s GPS data to determine the driver’s exact route and where he stopped after he left the mine on or around January 10.
It is feared that the solid capsule may have become lodged in the tire of another vehicle and may be hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the search area.
It is believed that a screw came loose inside a lead lined clamp and the unit fell through a hole.
From the Rio Tinto mine, he said he had hired an expert in handling radioactive materials to pack the capsule and transport it “safely” to the warehouse and was only informed of its disappearance on Wednesday.
Health chief Andrew Robertson defended the Western Australian government’s decision to wait two days before briefing the public on Friday, saying they needed to search the mine and warehouse to rule them out and confirm the route.
With information from EFE and AP.
IS
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.