Dangerous Radioactive Capsule Found In Australia After Going Missing For 6 Days

A dangerously radioactive capsule that apparently fell off the back of a truck has been found, authorities in Australia announced on Wednesday. The capsule, which contains Caesium-137, was found to be missing six days ago after a long journey by truck in the state of Western Australia. And it’s a huge relief that it was found, given how sick it can make anyone who unknowingly makes contact with it.

“The search groups have quite literally found the needle in the haystack,” Emergency Sercies Minister Stephen Dawson said in a press conference on Wednesday.

The capsule was being transported from a Rio Tinto mining site near Newman, Western Australia to the capital city of Perth, leaving a stretch of roughly 720 miles where it could have fallen out.

Authorities in Australia used special radio-activity detecting equipment to find the capsule of Caesium-137, likely similar to the kind of equipment used by agencies that monitor potential nuclear threats in the United States. Touching Caesium-137 can cause burns and radiation sickness, though authorities don’t believe the pea-sized capsule was touched by any humans since it was found in such a remote part of the country.

What was Rio Tinto using the highly radioactive capsule for? The company says the Caesium-137 is used in an industrial gauge to measure iron ore being sent through various crushing equipment on site.

Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri iron ore mine has previously been touted at the company’s most “technologically advanced” mine to date, which includes autonomous trucks and 3D simulation training simulators. But Rio Tinto now faces a fine of just $1,000 if the local health authorities found the company to have been negligent in handling the radioactive substance, according to Australia’s ABC News.

Commenting on the ordeal, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the potential fine “ridiculously low,” while stressing that it was only so low because, “people didn’t think that such an item would be lost.”

Rio Tinto extended its thanks to all of the agencies that mobilized to search for the dangerous capsule, including the Australian Defense Force, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization.

“We are incredibly grateful for the hard work of everyone involved in finding the missing capsule,” Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Simon Trott said in a statement published online.

“While the recovery of the capsule is a great testament to the skill and tenacity of the search team, the fact is it should never have been lost in the first place. I’d like to apologise to the wider community of Western Australia for the concern it has generated. We are taking this incident very seriously and are undertaking a full and thorough investigation into how it happened,” Trott continued.

Trotts stressed that an incident like this was “extremely rare” but said an thorough investigation would take place.

“As part of our investigation, we will be assessing whether our processes and protocols, including the use of specialist contractors to package and transport radioactive materials, are appropriate,” Trott said.