After days of searching, experts in Western Australia have found a radioactive capsule that had fallen off a truck. Response teams discovered the tiny and very dangerous capsule – smaller than a dime – about 50 kilometers south of the mining town of Newman, broadcaster ABC reported on Wednesday, citing the region’s government.
The casing, just a millimeter in size, fell out of its container while being transported from a mine north of Newman to a depot near the city of Perth. Since then, specialists have been using detectors to search the 1,400-kilometer route. “When you consider the extent of the search area, locating this object was a monumental challenge, the search parties literally found a needle in a haystack,” Emergencies Secretary Stephen Dawson said on Wednesday.
According to the authorities, the capsule was found about two meters next to the highway. A special search vehicle equipped with radiation detectors was driving past at about 70 km/h when the measuring devices deflected. That’s how he reports it Channel ABC. A 200 meter security zone was established around the capsule and the capsule was placed in a lead container. It is to be stored overnight in a secure location in Newman. On Thursday, she will be transported to a facility run by the Ministry of Health, where she will be examined for any damage.
The radioactive capsules are used in measuring devices in the mining industry. British-Australian mining operator Rio Tinto, which operates the mine, had hired a third party with the expertise and certification to securely package the dangerous capsule in preparation for shipment.
This image, released by the Western Australian State Government, shows the tiny capsule in place.
(Photo: Government of Western Australia/afp)
Apparently, the capsule containing highly radioactive cesium-137 was lost sometime after January 12th. That she was missing was noticed on January 25 when the truck was unloaded. The Western Australia Department of Health informed the public about the incident over the weekend. Rio Tinto apologized for the incident.
The radiation can burn the skin
“It baffles me how something like that could fall from the back of a truck,” Secretary Dawson said earlier. Investigations into the process are ongoing. It is believed that vibrations caused a bolt in the container to loosen during travel and the mini-case fell through the bolt hole. It is considered unlikely that there will be legal proceedings. The government of Western Australia is currently trying to clarify how the expensive and time-consuming search should be paid for.
For days, people have been asked to keep a distance of at least five meters if they spot the silver case. The radiation can lead to skin burns and prolonged exposure to cancer, it said. “The worst-case scenario is that someone picks up the capsule, finds it strange and puts it in their pocket,” the AAP news agency quoted a biophysicist from the University of South Australia as saying.