Search and scare: A tiny radioactive capsule lost on Australian desert highway

Australia Radioactive Capsule: The capsule is part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore feed.

Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd apologised for the loss of a tiny radioactive capsule owing to which a radiation alert has been issued across a state in Western Australia. The capsule is said to have fallen from a truck and it is still not clear for how long it has been missing. The capsule is part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore feed.

Australia Radioactive Capsule: Members of the Incident Management Team coordinate the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto. (Reuters)

It was picked up by a specialist contractor from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri mine site on January 12. While unpacking it on January 25, the gauge was found to be broken apart, with authorities suspecting that due to vibrations from the truck the screws and the bolt became loose and the radioactive capsule fell out.

Following this, a massive search operation has been launched from north of Newman to a storage facility in Perth, Reuters reported.

"We are taking this incident very seriously. We recognise this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community," Rio's iron ore division chief Simon Trott said.

"We have completed radiological surveys of all areas on site where the device had been, and surveyed roads within the mine site as well as the access road leading away from the Gudai-Darri mine site," he added.

Alerts have also been issued to people living in the region with authorities recommending residents to stay at least five metres away as exposure could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness.

Earlier, the mining giant faced severe backlash in 2020 after the destruction of two ancient and sacred rock shelters in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for an iron ore mine.