Experts detect another source of radiation in Delhi

Close on the heels of the radiation episode in New Delhi, experts today detected one more source of radiation in the same Mayapuri Industrial area of west Delhi in which six persons had been affected, one of them still lying serious.

"We have been alerted about one more source of radiation in the Mayapuri area. It is smaller in size than the earlier one," Dr B Bhattacharya, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

Four experts from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, 15 from NDMA along with other experts from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board will start work in the area tonight or tomorrow morning, he said.

"The BARC team will reach here by early morning and they will then visit the site. We were informed at around 12 noon," Bhattacharya said.

Earlier on April 8, a radiation leak was reported from Mayapuri after a scrap dealer and his four employees suffered burn injuries and fell unconscious after coming in contact with a mysterious shining object.

Another person from a neighbouring shop was also affected.

Deepak Jain, the scrap dealer who suffered serious burn injuries, was on April four rushed to Apollo Hospital which informed the government that he had suffered radiation.

Later doctor found his bone marrow to be significantly suppressed.

A total of six people have been affected due to this, of which five are undergoing treatment at the AIIMS. Jain is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital.

Experts have identified the radioactive material as Cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope of cobalt, which is a hard, lustrous, grey metal.

Cobalt-based colours and pigments have been used since ancient times for jewellery and paints, and miners have long used the name kobold ore for some minerals.