Medical radioactive material truck 'stolen in Mexico'

A truck carrying medical radioactive material has been stolen in Mexico, the UN's nuclear watchdog says.

Mexico told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the truck was carrying a "dangerous radioactive source" used for cancer treatments when it was stolen on Monday.
The radiotherapy source was being taken from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a waste storage centre.
It was stolen near the capital, Mexico City.
Mexico's Nuclear Security Commission said that at the time of the theft, the cobalt-60 teletherapy source was "properly shielded".
But the commission warned it could be "extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged".
Local media reported that the truck, a 2.5-tonne Volkswagen Worker, was stolen by armed men at a petrol station in Tepojaco, on the outskirts of Mexico City on Monday morning.
Mexican police are currently conducting a search for the truck and its contents and have issued a press release to alert the public of its potential dangers.
Experts have long warned about the danger posed by radioactive material used for medical treatments and research in hospitals.



source:bbcnews