The mining company Rio Tinto confirmed that the six by eight millimeter capsule came from one of its mines. According to the information, she left the mine in a truck on January 10 and was only reported missing 15 days later.
A search is now being carried out along the 1,400-kilometer transport route between a mine north of the mining town of Newman and a radiation protection company in Malaga, a suburb of the metropolis of Perth. Radioactive capsules are used in mining. In the Newman region, where transport began, iron ore is mainly mined.
Search in “strategic locations”
Authorities are primarily looking at “strategic locations” along the vehicle’s transport route near populated areas, Darryl Ray of Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services said at a news conference on Saturday. Radiation gauges are designed to help locate the capsule. Ray: “We’re not trying to find a tiny little device with the naked eye.”
In addition, special equipment was requested within the Commonwealth. The Guardian reported that a mobile radiation detection device that could be installed in a car was being sought. The exact route with all stops was determined with the GPS data of the transport company. However, this does not necessarily mean that the capsule can be found on this route. “She could have been thrown further out into the bush, it could have been picked up by a tire wheel and carried in a different direction,” Ray says.
Vehicle owners traveling on the Great Northern Highway were asked to check their tires, according to broadcaster ABC. The capsule may have got stuck there. The fire brigade, the Western Australia police, the Ministry of Health and experts participated in the search.
Protection device damaged
After a six-day journey, the vehicle that was supposed to transport the capsule reached the radiation protection company in Malaga on January 16. The package was only opened there on January 25, Ray explained. It was found that it had fallen apart and been damaged in transit and that the capsule itself was missing.
According to Rio Tinto, an expert was hired to pack the capsule and transport it safely to the depot. It was only on January 25 that Rio Tinto was informed by a contractor about the missing capsule, the mining company said.
The Region’s health officer, Andrew Robertson, described it as “unusual” for a gauge like this to come loose: “These gauges are designed to be rugged and used in industrial environments where they can be exposed to the elements and vibration. The screws were now missing from the protective device when the capsule was reported missing.
Health warning due to radioactivity
Robertson issued an urgent health warning. Anyone who discovers something that looks like a tiny capsule should keep a distance of at least five meters. The capsule emits “a fair amount of radiation,” Robertson said.
Within a radius of one meter, this is about as high as ten X-rays within one hour – or the amount of natural radiation that a person is exposed to over a whole year. “It emits both beta and gamma rays. If you get close to her, you can suffer skin damage, including skin burns,” Robertson said.
