Radioactive steel cylinder disappeared without a trace

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In January, a small capsule containing the highly radioactive caesium-137 went missing in Australia. She was only found after a few days. Now the Thai authorities are dealing with a similar case.

After routine checks, workers at a steam power plant in Prachin Buri province, about 100 miles east of Bangkok, reported a missing radioactive cylinder on March 10. The newspaper “Bangkok Post” reports this, citing the authorities. About half a million people live in this province, which is also popular with tourists because of its national parks.

Stolen, sold, lost?

Initially, authorities suspected that the cylinder had been stolen. There was also talk of a sale to a recycling station, according to a message from the American broadcaster CNN. Now it is said that the cylinder could have been lost in transit.

As with the capsule in Australia, there is a great danger from the missing cylinder. Prolonged unconscious exposure to radioactive material carries the risk of fatal cancer. Still, the public is asked not to panic. Skin irritation is the first sign of exposure to high levels of radiation.

After all, this time the object we are looking for is much larger than in Australia: the capsule we were looking for there was only a few millimeters in size. The dangerous cylinder in Thailand, on the other hand, is significantly larger: it is 30 centimeters long and 13 centimeters wide. (SDA/ml)

Source: Blick