The casing, which was just a millimeter in size, fell out of its container during transport from a mine to a warehouse near the city of Perth. She was found with the help of special detectors.
Relief in Australia: After a feverish search, experts in the west of the country found a radioactive capsule that had fallen from the truck. Response teams from the Radiation Protection Agency and Fire Service discovered the small but very dangerous capsule south of the inland mining town of Newman, ABC reported on Wednesday, citing the Western Australian state government.
The capsule reappeared after a nearly week-long search along a 1,400-kilometer stretch of highway. It is just six millimeters in diameter and eight millimeters long, regional emergency services minister Stephen Dawson said on Wednesday. “I want to emphasize that this is an exceptional result,” said Dawson. “Search teams literally found a needle in a haystack.”
Capsule found two meters from the road
The mini pod containing the highly radioactive cesium-137 fell from a truck while being transported from a mine north of the mining town of Newman to a warehouse near the city of Perth. The incident happened sometime after January 12th. It was only noticed on 25 January, when the truck was unloaded, that the capsule was missing. It was sometimes feared that she might have become trapped in the profile of a passing vehicle on the Great Northern Highway. However, according to fire department spokesman Darren Klemm, she was found six feet from the road.
Finally found: The radioactive capsule. (c) AFPA special detector on a search vehicle indicated the radiation. The capsule was stored in a lead container and is scheduled to be stored overnight in a secure location in Newman. On Thursday, she will be transported to a Ministry of Health unit, where she will be examined for damage.
Capsules are used in mining
Radioactive capsules are used in mining. Iron ore is mined primarily in the Newman region. Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has apologized for the incident. The corporation operates the Gudai Darri mine, from where the capsule was transported. Rio Tinto says it hired an experienced and certified third party to securely pack the capsule, which is smaller than a dime.
“I’m baffled how something like this could fall off the back of a truck,” said Secretary Dawson earlier. Investigations into the case are ongoing. It is believed that the vibrations caused a screw in the container to loosen during the journey and the mini crate fell through the screw hole. It is considered unlikely that there will be legal proceedings. The Western Australian government is currently trying to clarify how the expensive and time-consuming search should be paid for.
For days, authorities repeatedly asked people to keep a distance of at least five meters if they discovered the silver box. The radiation could have burned the skin and, with prolonged exposure, also caused cancer.
Capsule recreated with 3D printer
A user on the online platform Reddit recreated the tiny capsule on a 3D printer to illustrate just how small the sought after piece really was.
via Portal(APA/dpa)