Pea-sized Australian radioactive capsule falls off truck, is found 6 days later after massive hunt

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Missing radioactive capsule found in Australia

Australian officials search for a radioactive capsule that was found Wednesday. (Department of Fire and Emergency Services)

A radioactive capsule has been found in the Australian outback after more than a week of searching along a 870-mile stretch, authorities said Wednesday. 

Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the capsule was being evaluated by the military before being taken to a secure facility in Perth Thursday.

"When you consider the scope of the research area, locating this object was a monumental challenge, the search groups have quite literally found the needle in the haystack," Dawson said.

A view shows a radioactive capsule lying on the ground, near Newman, Australia, Feb. 1, 2023. (Western Australian Department Of Fire And Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERS)

In this photo provided by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, its members search for a radioactive capsule believed to have fallen off a truck being transported on a freight route on the outskirts of Perth, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (Department of Fire and Emergency Services via AP)

AUSTRALIAN MINING COMPANY LOSES RADIOACTIVE DEVICE, NUCLEAR AGENCY JOINS OUTBACK SEARCH

The radioactive capsule was apparently part of a gauge used to measure the density of iron ore at a mining facility in the Kimberly region known as Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri.

The capsule reportedly fell off a truck as the materials were being transported to Perth – a distance roughly the same length as the California coastline. 

 A mining corporation on Sunday apologized for losing the highly radioactive capsule over a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) stretch of Western Australia, as authorities combed parts of the road looking for the tiny but dangerous substance.  (Department of Fire and Emergency Services via AP)

AUSTRALIA DEPLOYS MORE EXPERTS, EQUIPMENT TO SEARCH FOR LOST RADIOACTIVE CAPSULE

The radioactive device, a reported 6 mm in diameter, 8 mm long and containing Caesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 X-rays per hour, apparently landed on the side of the road. 

Searchers were advised not to come within 16 feet of the tiny capsule if they spotted it over concerns that exposure could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness.

Members of the Incident Management Team coordinate the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto, at the Emergency Services Complex in Cockburn, Australia, in this undated handout photo.   (Department of Fire and Emergency Services/Handout via Reuters)

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Drivers by were reportedly believed to be at relatively low risk of exposure with authorities explaining it would be similar to undergoing an X-ray.

It is unclear how the tiny capsule was found though it is not believed to have contaminated the area.