How the length of a grain of rice sparked panic in Australia when a radioactive capsule goes MISSING in the outback

A DEADLY radioactive capsule has gone missing in the Australian outback – and may never be found, authorities have warned.

The tiny capsule that has the length of a grain of rice that disappeared from a mining depot deep in the arid outback during an 870-mile mammoth truck ride.

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The capsule, measuring just 8mm by 6mm, is believed to have fallen from the transport truck on its way south from a mine site in Rio Tinto, northwest of the remote town of Newman, to the Western Australian capital of Perth.

The killer radioactivity comes from a 9-gigabecquerel cesium-137 ceramic source commonly used to calibrate radiometers.

The authorities determined the exact route of the truck using GPS data – a distance that corresponds to that from London to Budapest.

Emergency services have struggled to find adequate search equipment and have even asked the Commonwealth for help.

Teams with handheld radiation detectors and metal detectors are searching 22 miles a day in a frantic attempt to locate the deadly device.

Western Australia Radiation Services manager Lauren Steen said the situation had “spun her head a bit”.

She said: “If you stood a meter away, you would get roughly the equivalent of 17 chest X-rays.”

On Sunday, Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services announced they will be introducing newer, high-tech sensors to locate the small device.

What is Cesium 137 and why is it causing panic in the outback?

THE deadly radioactive material is produced as a by-product in a nuclear reactor or in nuclear weapons.

Exposure to even small amounts can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, and death.

It can also increase cancer risk if ingested or inhaled.

The truck left the mine on January 12 and arrived in Perth on January 16 – but the capsule was only discovered missing nine days later.

It is believed that somewhere along the journey a bolt holding the lead-lined case containing the capsule came loose.

The capsule then fell through a hole left by the missing bolt, experts have speculated.

A massive search was launched with teams equipped with radiation detectors and metal detectors.

WA Ambulance Service Superintendent David Gill said crews were conducting a “concerted, coordinated” search for the deadly device.

Supt Gill said: “There are challenges here. There are 1,400 kilometers between the mine site and Perth.

“There’s a chance we won’t find this. That is possible.”

The capsule’s radioactive material has a half-life of 30 years and exposure could result in severe burns.

Prolonged exposure can also lead to radiation sickness and a long-term increased risk of cancer.

Western Australia’s Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson said the mine and depot had been searched and cleared.

He also said the capsule was packaged in accordance with anti-radiation transport, making the disappearance highly unusual.

Mr Robertson said: “It’s unusual for a gauge to fall apart like this one.”

Authorities have worried the tiny pod may have become stuck in another vehicle’s tire – making the search that much more complicated.

Special equipment was procured by the Australian federal government to search the vast area.

Mr Robertson added: “Our concern is that someone might pick it up without knowing what it is, think it’s something interesting, and keep it.”

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