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An aerial view of Mount Whaleback Mine, near the town of Newman, Australia.
AUSTRALIA – People in Western Australia are going to feel a little calmer. A potentially dangerous radioactive capsule has been found in Australia, where it had been wanted since mid-January after being lost while being transported by truck from a mine, authorities announced on Wednesday February 1.
” This is a good thing. Like I said, it was definitely a needle in a haystack that was found and I think people in Western Australia will be able to sleep better tonight.”Steve Dawson, head of emergency services in this Australian state, told the press.
BREAKING: A potentially deadly radioactive capsule has been found a week after it went missing in the WA outback. 7… https://t.co/1rrIJeGtiw
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia)
The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto had apologized on Monday for the loss.
Authorities drove hundreds of highway miles in search of the tiny capsule.
Discovery on the edge of a deserted road
She was eventually discovered by the side of a deserted road just south of the town of Newman, near the mine from which she had been transported, state emergency services official Darren Klemm said. .
After six days of research, one of the mobilized vehicles detected radiation while traveling on the highway.
Authorities are now working to recover the capsule safely before taking it to a safe place, Darren Klemm said.
The silver-colored capsule, which measures 8 mm by 6 mm, used during mining operations, according to the authorities, contains a radioactive substance, Cesium-137, capable of causing acute irradiation.
It had been lost while being transported by truck from a mine near the remote town of Newman to the northern suburbs of Perth, a distance of around 1,400 kilometres.
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