Thai Authorities Launch Search for Missing Radioactive Capsule
According to Straitstimes, during a routine inspection on March 10, employees at a power plant in Prachin Buri Province, located east of Bangkok, discovered that a 30 cm long and 13 cm diameter steel capsule had mysteriously disappeared.
Image of the metal capsule. (Photo: Bangkok Post).
A representative from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the owner of the plant, stated that a search was initiated over the weekend, but the 25 kg capsule containing highly radioactive Caesium-137 has not yet been found.
The company believes that the radioactive capsule may have fallen from a wall-mounted rack approximately 18 meters high a few days earlier. They are reported to have offered a reward of 50,000 baht for information leading to the recovery of the object.
Officials from the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace inspected the facility and found no signs of radioactive leakage. Police have also searched local scrap metal shops, but with no results.
“We are asking residents in the area to help search for it,” stated Narong Nakornjinda, the Governor of Prachin Buri. “The radioactive capsule is in a sealed condition, but if someone opens it and comes into contact with the material, they could suffer rashes and burns.”
A senior official responsible for atomic issues in Thailand warned that if the capsule were to break, individuals who come into direct contact with it face a high risk of cancer and other serious illnesses.
The missing capsule is part of equipment used for measuring steam pressure at the plant. Officials have not disclosed how much Caesium-137 is contained within the capsule.
