According to officials in Mexico, a truck which was carrying “extremely dangerous” materials which are used for medical treatment was stolen on Monday.
The driver was transporting cobalt-60 from a northern Tijuana hospital to a storage facility for radioactive waste.
According the the International Atomic Energy Agency, cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope which is used in radiotherapy.
A search is being conducted by the authorities for the missing radioactive material, and an alert statement has been released to the public.
The missing truck is a 2.5 ton white Volkswagen Worker (with an integrated crane) license plate: 726-DT-8.
The source was properly shielded at the time of the truck’s theft, but if removed from the appropriate shielding (or damaged), could be extremely dangerous. In fact, direct exposure would result in death after only a few minutes.
Officials are unsure who has stolen the truck, or if the their knows what they have.
There is no current indication that the truck is headed for the U.S., however the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. law enforcement are aware of the situation and working closely with Mexican authorities. – Border officials have possession of radiation detection devices.
Sources
ABC News
NBC News
USA Today