A mining corporation apologized Sunday for the loss of a highly radioactive mine capsule over a 1,400-kilometer stretch in Western Australia earlier in January, the AP reported.
Authorities are searching parts of the road in search of the small but dangerous substance.
The capsule was part of a device, which is believed to have fallen off a truck while being transported between Desert Mine and the city of Perth on January 10. The lorry transporting the capsule arrived at a depot in Perth on 16 January. The emergency services were notified of the missing capsule on January 25.
Western Australia’s emergency services called on other Australian states and the federal government for support in locating the pod as they lack equipment. The capsule measures 8 millimeters by 6 millimeters and people are being warned that it may have unknowingly lodged in their car tyres. She emits dangerous amounts of radiation and may cause skin burns or cancer.
The CEO of mining giant Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Simon Trott, said that the company takes the incident very seriously and has apologized for causing public concern.
“We recognize that this is obviously very concerning and we regret the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community, Trott said. As well as fully supporting the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to find out how the capsule was lost in transit.”
The police determined the incident as an accident and no charges are likely to be filed.
The authorities they ruled out a theft at the depot before the box was opened on Wednesday.
Experts say that the capsule cannot be a weapon.
