Authorities are scouring an 870-mile stretch of highway in Australia after a tiny but highly radioactive capsule is believed to have fallen from a mining truck.
has sparked a frantic search and an apology from the mining company whose truck the item is believed to have fallen from.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore said it was undertaking an internal investigation into how the potentially lethal and radioactive substance,“We recognize this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community,” chief executive Simon Trott said in a statement.
“DFES and radiation specialists are searching along Great Northern Highway by driving north and south directions at slow speeds,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in a hazmat alert Monday, adding it was using survey meters to find the capsule by detecting radiation levels. While the capsule cannot be weaponized, said the Department of Health in a statement Friday, it can cause “serious health consequences.”
"So, if somebody has it in their pocket or something, it's not particularly great," he said, adding that prolonged exposure could damage human cells.DFES“Exposure to this substance could cause radiation burns or severe illness — if people see the capsule or something that looks similar, stay away from it and keep others away from it too,” Western Australia’s chief health officer, Andrew Robertson, said in a statement Friday.
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