Five Mexican states have been put on alert after a truck carrying a container of potentially dangerous radioactive material was stolen, the Interior Ministry says.
The National Co-ordination of Civil Protection issued the warning after a company in the central state of Queretaro reported that a ute carrying radioactive iridium-192 had been stolen.
The Ministry said the material “can be dangerous for people if not handled safely” and could cause “permanent or serious injury to a person who is handling or in contact with it for a short time”.
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The material, which is used in industrial radiography, belonged to the company Industrial Maintenance Centre, located in the city of San Juan del Rio.
In addition to Queretaro, the states of Hidalgo, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Michoacan were put on alert.
Iridium-192 can cause burns, radiation sickness and permanent injury if a person comes in contact with it, and can be fatal if exposure lasts hours or days.
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In April 2015 year a container carrying iridium-192 was stolen and recovered a week later in south-eastern Mexico, the fourth such theft since 2013.The thieves are generally unaware that they are stealing radioactive material and are more interested in other goods.
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