Radioactive capsule dropped from truck found in Australia
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The official said that finding the said capsule was like finding a needle in a haystack. Authorities said the pea-sized capsule was found on the Great Northern Highway south of Newman.
Authorities in Australia on Wednesday located a small dangerous radioactive capsule that fell off a truck last month while being transported along this 1,400-kilometer highway. The official said that finding the said capsule was like finding a needle in a haystack. Authorities said the pea-sized capsule was found on the Great Northern Highway south of Newman. It was detected by a search vehicle traveling at 70 kilometers per hour when specialist equipment detected radiation emanating from the capsule, officials said.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said, “This is an extraordinary result … They really have found a needle in a haystack.” Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said there was no doubt the capsule would cause any harm. No information. It contains a cesium 137 ceramic source, commonly used in radiation gauges, which emits a dangerous amount of radiation equivalent to receiving 10 X-rays in an hour. It can cause skin burns and prolonged exposure can cause cancer.
The search party took six days to search the entire highway. The capsule went missing on January 10 while being transported between a desert mine site and Perth. The truck carrying the capsule arrived at Perth Depot on 16 January. Emergency services were notified of the capsule’s disappearance on 25 January. Simon Trott, chief executive of mining company Rio Tinto Iron Ore, has apologized for the incident.
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