Missing radioactive capsule found in Australia after ‘concerning’ search
Conrad Hoyt
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A highly radioactive capsule that was lost while being transported in Western Australia in January has been found, according to authorities, ending the distressing search for an object that can cause skin burns and even cancer.
Authorities said emergency services had “literally found the needle in the haystack,” BBC reported early Wednesday. The search took place over an 870-mile stretch from a desert mine site and the city of Perth, where the capsule was believed to have fallen off a truck.
AUSTRALIA MINING COMPANY SORRY FOR LOSING RADIOACTIVE DEVICE
The Associated Press reported that the truck transporting the capsule arrived at a Perth depot on Jan. 16, but emergency services were only notified of the missing capsule on Jan. 25. Simon Trott, the chief executive of the mining giant Rio Tinto Iron Ore, said the company recognized “this is clearly very concerning” and apologized for concerning the public.
The caesium 137 ceramic source, used in radiation gauges, emits dangerous amounts of radiation, reportedly equivalent to receiving 10 X-rays in an hour.
Trott and Rio Tinto Iron Ore promised to investigate how the capsule went missing. Police determined the incident to be an accident and criminal charges are unlikely.
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The state’s desert is extremely remote and one of the least populated places in the country, with only one in five of Western Australia’s population living outside of Perth, according to BBC.