A mining corporation on Sunday apologized for losing a highly radioactive capsule over a 1,400-kilometre stretch of Western Australia, as authorities combed parts of the road looking for the tiny but dangerous substance. The truck transporting the capsule arrived at a Perth depot on Jan. 16. Emergency services in Western Australia have called on other Australian states and the federal government for support finding the capsule because they lack equipment. The caesium-137 ceramic source, commonly used in radiation gauges, emits dangerous amounts of radiation, equivalent to receiving 10 X-rays in an hour, Western Australia Chief Health Officer Dr. Andrew Robertson said. © Department of Fire and Emergency Services/Government of Western Australia The capsule is shown in this graphic beside an Australian 10-cent coin.
