Police barred access on Friday to a hospital in Pachuca, Mexico, that recently took in six people believed to have radiation poisoning, according to the Associated Press. The news comes one day after thieves hijacked a truck carrying radioactive cobalt-60.
Authorities were initially worried the thieves had stolen the truck with intentions of creating a "dirty bomb," which could kill dozens, but it now appears they were unaware cobalt-60 was onboard. The truck was on its way to a waste disposal site on Dec. 2 when it was captured.
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Cobalt-60 is a deadly material that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says has an activity level of 3,000 curries, which qualifies it as a category 1 hazard, one of the most dangerous substances on Earth.
Authorities have not clarified whether those admitted to the hospital are the alleged thieves. CNN reported that two suspects, a 16-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, are in police custody, but it is unclear whether they are two of the six patients.
The material was left exposed in the town of Hueypoxtla, not far from where the incident took place. Officials said the public is not in any danger, but the IAEA believes any of the thieves who came into contact with cobalt-60 for even a few minutes will likely not survive. The Associated Press reported that at least two of the six admitted to the hospital have severe radiation syndrome and that one was dizzy and vomiting.
The cobalt-60 was once used with old radiation therapy equipment at a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana. The hazardous waste dump is located south of there, outside Mexico City.
Officials are still working to dispose of the material.
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Image: Flickr, Mad House Photography