Delhi cobalt scare over as BARC finds missing pieces

Delhi residents can finally breathe easy, as the Department of Atomic Energy has confirmed that all the missing cobalt pencils auctioned to a scrap dealer by Delhi University have been recovered, a month after eight people were exposed to radiation in the national capital's Mayapuri area.

The national radiation emergency response team of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) recovered 16 cobalt pencils from a gamma cell, which was scattered in a scrap yard. One of the eight persons exposed to radiation has died.

While four pencils were recovered intact, others were found scattered in pieces as they were dismantled in the scrap yard. Some were recovered even outside Delhi.

"The operation of highly radioactive cobalt sources was completed last night and all material has been handed over to Narora Atomic Power station," BARC said.

Each of the pencils had seven cobalt pieces inside.

Scrap dealers had bought a gamma irradiator machine from Delhi University's chemistry department, which decided to auction the machine because it had not been used for 40 years. The machine contained radioactive cobalt 60 pencils. When the scrap dealers broke open the machine's lead cover, they were exposed to radiation.

The crisis has been one of India's worst ever radiation leaks, and Delhi University faces severe punishment for violating basic safety rules in the disposal of radioactive material.

Because many pencils from the machine were missing till this morning, the fear was that Delhi was still vulnerable. That fear has finally subsided.