The missing radioactive capsule has been recovered
Under the scrutiny of the global public, civil protection workers in Western Australia searched frantically for a small radioactive capsule. Now it is found.
The crime body: A Civil Protection photograph showing the retrieved capsule.
Photo: AFP
A small, highly radioactive capsule in the Australian state of Western Australia Lost Wednesday afternoon. According to the district government, the capsule was found in the morning after it disappeared during transportation about two weeks ago.
The capsule was part of a measuring device used in a mine to measure the density of iron ore.
Photo: Fire and Emergency Services Department (Keystone)
I would like to stress that this is an exceptional result. “It really is a needle in the haystack that has been found and I think Western Australians can sleep better tonight,” Disaster Relief Minister Stephen Dawson told a news conference.
The capsule, which is difficult to find with the naked eye, was found two meters off the road near the town of Newman. This is where the Rio Tinto mine site is located, where the capsule was originally encapsulated.
Create a hot spot
The capsule was discovered by radiometers from the Australian Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety. The research team’s car was traveling at 70 kilometers per hour when the detectors exploded.
On the Great Northern Highway: Civil Protection workers search for the mini-pod.
Photo: Keystone
A 20-meter “hot zone” has been created around the site. However, the risk to residents is minimal due to the remote area, said the representative of the health authority.
The capsule apparently fell from a truck while it was being transported from the mine at Godai Dare to a depot near Perth and ended up on the side of the road.
The search for the silver 8-millimeter capsule containing the radioactive pollutant cesium-137 has been underway since January 25.
Photo: Keystone
The dangerous goods were now packed into a lead container and stored overnight at Newman before being transported to Perth. There the serial number must be used to confirm if it is indeed the capsule in question.
AFP / RED
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