Lost radioactive capsule recovered
Feverishly and under the watchful eyes of the world public, civil defense workers in Western Australia searched for a small radioactive capsule. Now she has been found.
Corpus delicti: Civil Defense image shows the recovered capsule.
Photo: AFP
A small highly radioactive capsule in the Australian state of Western Australia lost It reappeared on Wednesday. According to the regional government, the capsule, which went missing during transit two weeks ago, was found this morning.
A capsule is part of a measuring device used in mining to measure the density of iron ore.
Photo: Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Keystone)
“I want to stress that this is an exceptional decision. It’s really been a needle in the haystack and I think Western Australians can sleep well tonight,” Disaster Relief Minister Stephen Dawson told a news conference.
The capsule, which could not be detected by the naked eye, was found two meters off the road near the town of Newman. That’s where Rio Tinto’s mine site is, and that’s where the capsule was originally packed.
The tropics are established
The capsule was detected by a radiation meter from the Australian Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety. When the detectors went off, the search team’s vehicle was traveling at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour.
Along Great Northern Highway: Civil Defense personnel search for mini-capsule.
Photo: Keystone
A 20 meter “warm zone” was established around the site. However, as the area is remote, the risk to the public is minimal, said a representative of the health authority.
The capsule fell off a truck and ended up on the side of the road while being transported from the mine at Kudai-Dari to a depot near the Perth metropolitan area.
The hunt for the 8-millimeter-long silver capsule containing the radioactive contaminant cesium-137 has been underway since January 25.
Photo: Keystone
Dangerous goods are now packed into a lead container and stored overnight in Newman before being transported to Perth. The serial number should be used to confirm that it is indeed the capsule in question.
AFP/Network
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