A mining corporation on Sunday apologized for losing a highly radioactive capsule over a 1,400-kilometer stretch of Western Australia, as authorities combed parts of the road looking for the tiny but dangerous substance.
Western Australia emergency services have called on other Australian states and the federal government for support finding the capsule as they lack equipment. The capsule measures 8 millimetres by 6 millimetres, and people have been warned it could have unknowingly become lodged in their car’s tires.
“We recognize this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for 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 understand how the capsule was lost in transit.” “What we’re not doing is trying to find a tiny little device by eyesight,” said Superintendent Darryl Ray, adding they were concentrating on populated areas north of Perth and strategic sites along the Great Northern Highway.Authorities were also using the truck’s GPS data to determine the exact route the driver took and where it stopped after it left the mine on or about Jan. 10.
Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson defended the Western Australia government’s decision to wait two days to inform the public on Friday, saying the mine and depot had to be searched and excluded, and the route confirmed.