For several days it remains undetected that a highly radioactive capsule has not reached its destination. The authorities are now looking for the "capsule not even the size of a 1 cent euro coin" - not just with the naked eye, but with radiation detectors.
Mining giant Rio Tinto has publicly apologized for the loss of a tiny, highly radioactive capsule in the state of Western Australia. The company is sorry for the concern that the incident has caused among people in Western Australia, said manager Simon Trott. The capsule was lost in transit between January 12th and 16th, but its loss was not noticed until January 25th. Since then there has been a feverish search for her.
The eight-by-six-millimeter capsule fell from a truck owned by a Rio Tinto contractor while being transported 1,400 kilometers from an iron ore mine near the mining town of Newman to Perth. Her loss was only discovered when she was unloaded. According to reports, the container with the capsule was damaged by vibrations during the journey. A bolt in the truck is said to have loosened and the capsule then fell through the resulting hole.
The health authorities warned the population not to approach the capsule less than five meters: It contains so much highly radioactive cesium-137 that staying within a meter radius has an effect on the human body like "ten X-ray treatments per hour" and could cause acute radiation sickness.
In search of the capsule, which is smaller than a dime, authorities use vehicle-mounted portable radiation detectors that can detect increased radiation within a 20-meter radius. Officers in safety vests were seen walking the route. "We're not trying to spot the cylinder with the naked eye," promises disaster relief officer Darryl Ray. "We hope the radiation tools will lead us there." According to Trott, Rio Tinto is now launching its own investigation to find out exactly how the capsule could have gone missing.
In 2020, Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies, caused a scandal when it blew up a 46,000-year-old site sacred to Australian Aboriginal people. The boss at the time had to resign, and after sharp criticism from parliament, Rio Tinto committed to reforms.
