A suspected radioactive leak at cargo terminal of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport from shipment of medical equipment set off a “Radiolocal Emergency” in the national Capital on Sunday morning.
The emergency was withdrawn after officers from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that emission was within the permissible limits and did not fall in the category of radioactive leakage.
“Officers from BARC and NDRF have made it clear around 1355 hrs that there is no anticipation of any harm because there is no radioactive leakage,” senior Government officials said.
In a statement, District Magistrate Abhishek Singh said that “an inadvertently wrong radiological emergency message was conveyed”.
“A nuclear medicine Molibdenum 99 was being brought from Air France flight on behalf of Bl Kapoor Hospital, Pusa Road. The quantity of radiation emitted from the nuclear medicine is below 1 mill rongen (measurement of radiation).
“There is no beta radiation in the surrounding areas and there is no leakage. Hence it cannot be termed as an emergency. A final call has thus been taken and the Radiological Emergency has been called off at 01.55 PM,” he said.