Radioactive material containers missing<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Seventeen containers of harmful radioactive
\nelements have been found missing from the warehouse of state-
\nowned steel company PT Krakatau Steel at Cilegon, West Java, a
\npolice officer said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf called on the
\npublic to immediately report any information they have to nearest
\npolice station to help recover the missing containers containing
\nAmericium-241 and Cobalt-60.<\/p>\n
\"This is a serious matter. We've been moving swiftly to deal
\nwith it,\" Saleh told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The containers, he said, are in the shape of a tube 20
\ncentimeters long and weighing 40 kilograms each.<\/p>\n
Four other similar tubes, with its contents intact, was found
\non Tuesday not far from the warehouse, he said.<\/p>\n
The police, Saleh explained, still do not know if the missing
\ncontainers were taken out of the warehouse at once or at
\ndifferent times.<\/p>\n
Both local police and executives of the steel producing firm
\ndo not know exactly when the tubes went missing. The company's
\nstaff, while making a routine check on Friday, noticed the loss,
\nthe spokesman said.<\/p>\n
Krakatau Steel and police believe the containers had been
\nstolen from the warehouse, which looks like a guard post and
\nmarked with yellow triangles symbolizing the presence of
\ndangerous items, Saleh said.<\/p>\n
Judging from the undamaged door and the padlock of the
\nwarehouse, the theft might have been an inside job, he added.<\/p>\n
The local police have so far questioned several witnesses,
\nincluding the company's security officials and persons in charge
\nof the hazardous substances.<\/p>\n
Separately, head of Krakatau Steel's health safety and
\nenvironment Sugeng Sumbarjo said his men, using a radioactive
\ndetector, had not found any traces of radiation leak in and
\naround the warehouse.<\/p>\n
According to Sugeng, the radiation from the two elements could
\nburn human skin and damage blood corpuscles in the body. A direct
\ncontact with the hazardous substance could lead to cancer, tumor
\nor leukemia.<\/p>\n
\"The radiation, which has a strong and long-lasting effect on
\nthe human body, could spread to the other parts of the body and
\nonly amputation could help stop its spread,\" he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying.<\/p>\n
Cobalt-60 is mostly used by the company to cut steel under
\nhigh temperature.<\/p>\n
Officer Saleh also suspected that the radioactive elements had
\nbeen stolen by companies which also use the substances in their
\nproduction.<\/p>\n
\"I think the thieves were aiming at the lead containers
\ninstead of its contents because the containers are very
\nexpensive,\" said Saleh,<\/p>\n
He said the thieves might not realize the dangers of the
\nradioactive substances and might just discard them, endangering
\nother people. (07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/radioactive-material-containers-missing-1447893297",
"image": ""
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