No report of radiation hazard

The government rushed experts from the state health department, the National Disaster Response Force and fire brigade to contain the panic. A team from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is likely to visit the hospital to check for radiation leaks.

With the linear accelerator unit — containing radioactive material to treat cancer — housed in the basement of AMRI Hospital where the fire started, fears of a meltdown gripped people staying in Dhakuria.

HT Image

The government rushed experts from the state health department, the National Disaster Response Force and fire brigade to contain the panic. A team from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is likely to visit the hospital to check for radiation leaks.

Although there are no reports of a meltdown as of now, fire brigade personnel said they were not convinced with the safety of the linear accelerators and the brachy-therapy machines (used for treatment of cancer patients using radioactive iridium isotopes).