Key takeaways:
- The capsule, which contained highly radioactive Caesium-137, was discovered by the side of the road after a week-long search that spanned an 870-mile stretch of highway.
- The capsule, which is smaller than a coin, is potentially deadly and was found by authorities scanning an area almost the size of California.
- The capsule has been safely removed and will be disposed of in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Authorities in Western Australia have announced the successful recovery of a tiny radioactive capsule that had gone missing in the Australian outback. The capsule, which contained highly radioactive Caesium-137, was discovered by the side of the road after a week-long search that spanned an 870-mile stretch of highway.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said in a news conference Wednesday that locating the capsule was a monumental challenge. “The search groups have quite literally found the needle in the haystack,” he said.
The capsule was originally part of a package sent hundreds of kilometers from a Rio Tinto mining site in northern Western Australia to the capital Perth. It is believed to have fallen off of a truck from the mining company.
The capsule, which is smaller than a coin, is potentially deadly and was found by authorities scanning an area almost the size of California.
The recovery of the capsule is a relief to authorities, who had been concerned about the potential risks posed by the radioactive material. The capsule has been safely removed and will be disposed of in accordance with the relevant regulations.
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