Hazardous radioactive material reportedly stolen from truck in Mexico

World Today

Undated handout photograph provided by the Secretaria de Gobernacion (Interior Ministry) on April 16, 2015 showing a box for carrying radioactive material. Mexico issued an alert in five of its states for the theft in Tabasco of iridium-192, a radioactive source for industrial use “very dangerous”, said Wednesday the ministry of the Interior. AFP PHOTO/SECRETARIA DE GOBERNACION BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / SECRETARIA DE GOBERNACION / HO” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS =

MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities have issued an alert for five states over the theft of a container of hazardous radioactive material used for industrial inspection in the country’s southeast.

The container was reported stolen from a truck in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco on April 13, the Interior Department said late Wednesday.

It said the Iridium 192 could be dangerous if removed from its container, with short-term contact possibly causing permanent lesions and longer-term exposure potentially fatal.

There were at least three thefts of radioactive material in Mexico in 2014, though there was no indication thieves in any of those cases had specifically targeted the radioactive substances.

Story by the Associated Press.