A broken gauge and missing screws are to blame for a dangerous radioactive capsule going missing somewhere in Western Australia.
A package holding the tiny – but potentially deadly – 6mm by 8mm capsule had arrived at a Perth depot on January 16 where it was then loaded into a secure radiation store.
But an inspection on January 25 found the capsule was gone – the gauge having broken off and all of the screws and one of four mounting bolts missing.
A broken gauge and missing screws are to blame for the disappearance of a dangerous radioactive capsule that is lost somewhere in Western Australia (pictured, authorities searching for the capsule)
WA Authorities said the capsule (left) is similar to the size of an Australia 10 cent coin (right)
Emergency services and the Hazard Management Agency were notified that night, with authorities believing the capsule may have fallen off the truck carrying it from the Newman Rio Tinto mine to the WA capital.
The capsule was packaged at the mine on January 10 and could have fallen off at any point during the 1,400km journey from Rio Tinto to the Perth depot.
Those living in parts of the Pilbara, Midwest Gascoyne, Goldfields-Midlands and Perth Metropolitan regions have been warned they are at risk from the radioactive substance.
Those exposed to it can suffer radiation burns or radiation sickness, including impacts to the immune and the gastrointestinal systems.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has deployed teams with handheld radiation detection devices (above) and metal detectors to try and track down the capsule
Prolonged exposure can cause cancer, with the capsule emitting the same amount of radiation as 10 X-rays in an hour.
It comes as the chief executive of mining giant Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Simon Trott, apologised over the blunder and said the company was taking the incident very seriously.
‘We recognize this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community,’ Mr Trott said on Sunday.
‘As well as fully supporting the relevant authorities, we have launched our own investigation to understand how the capsule was lost in transit.’
Rio Tinto said it contracted an expert radioactive materials handler to package the capsule and transport it ‘safely’ to the depot.
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An urgent search continues for an eight by six millimetre radioactive capsule that is believed to have fell off the back of a mining truck sometime between January 12 and January 16 (pictured, authorities searching for the missing unit)
Authorities are using the truck’s GPS data to determine the exact route the driver took and where it stopped after it left the mine on January 12.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has deployed teams with handheld radiation detection devices and metal detectors along 36km of the busy freight route – but it’s possible the entire 1,400km journey may need to be searched.
Western Australia emergency services have called on other Australian states and the federal government for support finding the capsule as they lack equipment.
Authorities are fearing it could have unknowingly become lodged in drivers’ car tires and transported elsewhere.
Police have determined the incident to be an accident and no criminal charges are likely, while theft at the depot has also been ruled out.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is now helping the Western Australian government locate the capsule.
