A radioactive capsule appears, forcing Australia to declare a health alert for hundreds of kilometres
This Wednesday, Australian authorities confirmed the discovery of A The lost radioactive capsule In January when it was transmitted in the west of the country, a health alert was declared in a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
Western Australian Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson noted that the cesium-137 capsule was found 50 kilometers from the town of Newman and confirmed that “search teams have found the needle in the haystack.”
“I want to stress that it’s an extraordinary result,” Australian television network ABC reported. The capsule was located by a team from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization and the Fire and Emergency Department.
Australia issued the warning after the capsule disappeared between January 11 and 16 after it fell from the truck it was taking from the Rio Tinto mine to Perth. The loss was reported about a week later, on January 25th.
used in mining operations
The capsule, six millimeters in diameter and eight millimeters in height, is used in mining equipment and can generate high doses of radiation if handled improperly, for which the authorities demanded not to touch it and, if possible, to at least keep it. five metres.
“It’s a good result, as I said it’s definitely a needle in a haystack and I think Western Australians can sleep better tonight,” Western Australian Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson told reporters.
The 8mm by 6mm silver capsule, which is used in mining operations, contains radioactive material, cesium-137, according to the Western Australian Department of Health.
