Truck carrying stolen radioactive material found in Mexico

Dec. 5 (UPI)-- A truck carrying radioactive material that could be used in making a dirty bomb has been located 25 miles from where it was stolen Monday in Mexico.

Mexican authorities announced the recovery of the abandoned stolen truck and the radioactive cobalt cargo on Wednesday. The radioactive cargo had been opened, leading authorities to speculate that the thieves may soon seek medical treatment for possible radiation exposure. The scene is now under guard and authorities are evaluating whether area residents were exposed. Clean-up may take weeks, with help possibly from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United States, or Canada.

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced the theft yesterday. The truck was stolen on Monday in Tepojaco near Mexico City as it was transporting the cobalt-60 teletherapy source from a hospital in Tijuana to a radioactive waste storage center. Authorities believed early into the investigation that the thieves were unaware of the truck's radioactive cargo, or that the material could be used to make a dirty bomb.

[CNN] [UPI]