VietNamNet Bridge – The authorities of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province on Monday organized an urgent meeting after being informed of the Pomina 3 Steel Factory’s loss of radioactive sources.

It is reported that the steel factory, based in Phu My Industrial Park I, Tan Thanh district, has five radioactive devices as parts of production lines. In mid-March, during the transfer of assets due to changes in personnel in charge of radiation safety, the plant discovered that a radioactive device used to measure steel was missing.  

In an urgent meeting, the Vice Chair of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Le Thanh Dung directed relevant agencies to search for the device as soon as possible, at any cost.

"Anyone who provides information about the radioactive device will be rewarded," Dung said.

He told relevant bodies to make public the case in the media and inform all locals of the incident.

Director of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Vuong Huu Tuan and the police are now at the steel factory for investigation.

According to the Department of Science - Technology of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, this device is used to measure the level of liquid steel on steel billet production lines. At the distance of 10 cm, this device can cause radiation dose of 2.5mSv/h, while the acceptable radiation dose to normal people in a year is just 1mSv.

On September 12 last year the Department of Science - Technology of HCM City also lost an NDT imaging device. This device contained radioactive substances, in which the most dangerous substance is Iridium 192. It can burn people, and cause radiation poisoning or even death. The device was found one week later.

Minh Ha