'Dangerous' radioactive materials stolen from truck in Mexico

Mexican authorities issued an alert Wednesday after a container of potentially dangerous radioactive materials was reported stolen from a truck.

The Interior Department said the container of Iridium 192 was stolen in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco on April 13, according to The Associated Press.

The material is used for industrial inspection and can be “very dangerous to people if it is removed from its container,” Mexico's civil protection agency said.

Iridium 192 can cause burns and permanent injuries to those who have been in contact with it for just minutes, the BBC reports.

Radioactive materials have been stolen from Mexico in the past.

In 2013, a truck carrying a highly radioactive source used for cancer treatments was stolen on its way to a waste storage facility.

Six people were arrested and taken to hospitals with signs of radiation exposure, but were later cleared by doctors, the BBC reports.

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