Radioactive leak: Substance a nuclear medicine, says AERB

[Hindustani78]

Radioactive leak: Substance a nuclear medicine, says AERB | Zee News
Last Updated: Friday, May 29, 2015 - 15:34

New Delhi: The radioactive substance, which leaked at the cargo complex of IGI Airport here, is sodium iodide, a nuclear medicine, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) said on Friday.

Sources in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said the radioactive substance is a "permissible" one and "tolerable" to the human body.

"Our team is already at the site and the area has been cordoned off. The substance is Sodium Iodide 131, which is a nuclear medicine. It is a localised leak and our team has to open the cargo to know more about it," AERB Vice-Chairman R Bhattacharya said.

Sodium Iodide 131 is a medicine used to treat hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) and some cases of thyroid cancer.

"Sodium Iodide 131 is produced by keeping Tellurium in a nuclear reactor for eight days. We also produce this medicine in India with the help of Dhruva reactor and send to 120 centres.

"When the airport authorities detected leak from three packets (which had come from Turkey), they alerted the emergency response team... These three will be sent to our laboratory in Delhi where it will be disposed," DAE Secretary R K Sinha told PTI.

After the incident, Sinha, who is also the Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, visited the spot.

PTI

 

[nair]

Radioactive Leak Detected at Delhi Airport

Radioactive Leak Detected at Delhi Airport

 

[Hindustani78]

Radioactive Leak Detected at Delhi Airport

Radioactive Leak Detected at Delhi Airport

Investigation will be conducted.

Were those packets were declared at customs and who was the passenger ?

 

[nair]

Investigation will be conducted.

Were those packets were declared at customs and who was the passenger ?

Cargo complex....... It was not carried by a passenger...

 

[Hindustani78]

Cargo complex....... It was not carried by a passenger...

Was that declared in the customs while that cargo complex was loaded in the Plane ?

 

[nair]

Was that declared in the customs while that cargo complex was loaded in the Plane ?

Most probably yes..... It might be an accident....

 

[Donatello]

Investigation will be conducted.

Were those packets were declared at customs and who was the passenger ?

Nobody was the passenger. Read the news. It was a shipment from Turkey for a hospital's cancer unit. Radiotherapy isotopes. The shipping package was either not secured well enough or someone tried to do something fishy.

 

[Hindustani78]

Most probably yes..... It might be an accident....

IGI Airport authories detected leak from three packets and they alerted the emergency response team.

Any idea what type of equipment or machine is being use to detect the leak ?

Fire service personnel arrive at the IGI Airport, following reports of radioactive leak in the premises on Friday. Special Arrangement

Medical consignment causes radioactive leak at IGI Airport in Delhi - The Hindu

Airport says no people had suffered any radioactive contamination; leak found in Turkish Airlines freight plane’s medical consignment plugged, says Centre
A radioactive leak from a medicinal consignment was detected in the cargo area of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Friday morning. Senior Delhi government health officials have maintained that the leak has been contained and that there is no need for panic.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also confirmed at a press conference that the leak had been plugged.

The incident has not affected airport operations.

“A medical consignment of material suspected to be of radioactive nature was reported at the Cargo terminal of Delhi Airport this morning. A team from Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the site and making arrangements for the removal of the material. This area is far away from any of the passenger terminals and there is absolutely no risk of exposure to any passengers. The said area has been cordoned off and as per the preliminary assessment given by AMD the material has been termed as that of low radio activity- Sodium Iodide Liquid Class 7 meant for medicinal use,” airport operator DIAL's spokesperson said.

According to a senior health official: “The area of the leak has been cordoned-off and the leak happened in a consignment of sodium iodide from Turkey meant for a private hospital Fortis’ Nuclear Department.’’

He added that the leak happened in a small area of the cargo hold and was quickly isolated.

“The area has been cordoned off and a team of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF is at the spot. Also Atomic energy experts are at the airport to access the situation,’’ he noted.

Meanwhile, the Fortis HealthCare authorities maintained that they are yet to ascertain if this consignment belonged to their hospitals.

“Usually these come to the distributors here before being given to the various hospitals. The responsibility to ensure the safety of the medical consignment is with the group sending it to India and the distributors,” said the official.

 

[Echo_419]

Nobody was the passenger. Read the news. It was a shipment from Turkey for a hospital's cancer unit. Radiotherapy isotopes. The shipping package was either not secured well enough or someone tried to do something fishy.

By gods grace everything was contained

 

[Hindustani78]

By gods grace everything was contained

“Usually these come to the distributors here before being given to the various hospitals. The responsibility to ensure the safety of the medical consignment is with the group sending it to India and the distributors,” said the official.

 

[Abingdonboy]

IGI Airport authories detected leak from three packets and they alerted the emergency response team.

Any idea what type of equipment or machine is being use to detect the leak ?

Fire service personnel arrive at the IGI Airport, following reports of radioactive leak in the premises on Friday. Special Arrangement

Medical consignment causes radioactive leak at IGI Airport in Delhi - The Hindu

Airport says no people had suffered any radioactive contamination; leak found in Turkish Airlines freight plane’s medical consignment plugged, says Centre
A radioactive leak from a medicinal consignment was detected in the cargo area of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Friday morning. Senior Delhi government health officials have maintained that the leak has been contained and that there is no need for panic.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also confirmed at a press conference that the leak had been plugged.

The incident has not affected airport operations.

“A medical consignment of material suspected to be of radioactive nature was reported at the Cargo terminal of Delhi Airport this morning. A team from Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are at the site and making arrangements for the removal of the material. This area is far away from any of the passenger terminals and there is absolutely no risk of exposure to any passengers. The said area has been cordoned off and as per the preliminary assessment given by AMD the material has been termed as that of low radio activity- Sodium Iodide Liquid Class 7 meant for medicinal use,” airport operator DIAL's spokesperson said.

According to a senior health official: “The area of the leak has been cordoned-off and the leak happened in a consignment of sodium iodide from Turkey meant for a private hospital Fortis’ Nuclear Department.’’

He added that the leak happened in a small area of the cargo hold and was quickly isolated.

“The area has been cordoned off and a team of the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF is at the spot. Also Atomic energy experts are at the airport to access the situation,’’ he noted.

Meanwhile, the Fortis HealthCare authorities maintained that they are yet to ascertain if this consignment belonged to their hospitals.

“Usually these come to the distributors here before being given to the various hospitals. The responsibility to ensure the safety of the medical consignment is with the group sending it to India and the distributors,” said the official.

Good job by the authorities- detecting the leak and subsequently containing it. It appears they acted in a very swift and professional manner.

 

[Abingdonboy]

By gods grace everything was contained

+ God's grace and the actions of the NDRF and Delhi Fire Service's HAZMAT teams

 

[Echo_419]

+ God's grace and the actions of the NDRF and Delhi Fire Service's HAZMAT teams

Them too