A small capsule that contained the highly radioactive Caesium-137 was declared to be missing on Jan. 25 after a truck transported other capsules of the material to Perth from a Rio Tinto mine. 

   State emergency authorities sent out a warning to be on the lookout for the capsule to avoid it and prevent injury. The truck was packed on Jan. 10 and had driven about 870 miles from Rio Tinto to Perth, and worried authorities searched for days. The capsule, just millimeters large, was like “[finding] the needle in the haystack,” according to Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson. 

   Caesium-137 can induce serious burns on contact, and even cause acute radiation sickness. So, authorities wasted no time. They conducted a search of the entire highway with radiation devices and specialized equipment, and after six days, were successful. The capsule was found.

   Luckily, the capsule was found intact. Due to Cs-137’s radioactivity, it was strongly advised to not approach the capsule before it was found, since officials were unsure if it posed as a biological threat. 

  According to the Guardian, “The capsule’s steel container prevents radioactive material escaping, but if it were to be broken, contamination would be a greater worry,” Journalist Donna Lu said. 

   The capsule, smaller than a fingernail, had fallen onto rocks, and Australians are relieved that such a disastrous situation was avoided.