Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation

[PoliticAverse]

Source: Associated Press

PACHUCA, Mexico (AP) -- Federal police blocked access Friday to a central Mexico hospital where six people were reported to have been admitted with radiation exposure.

An official familiar with the case confirmed Mexican media reports that the six have been admitted to the general hospital in the city of Pachuca and may have been exposed to a stolen source of cobalt-60.

The official, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said only one person was dizzy and vomiting, which are symptoms of radiation poisoning.

The atomic energy agency said the cobalt has an activity of 3,000 curries, or Category 1, meaning "it would probably be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period in the range of a few minutes to an hour."

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_RADIOACTIVE_THEFT?SITE=AP

[cosmicone]

1. Hopefully this will reduce the number of truck thefts hahaha n/t

Hope the thieves have a complete recovery ... sad for them.

[loli phabay]

6. doubt they will survive it

[Mr.Bill]

2. Rachel Maddow covered the story of the stolen truck the other night.

I didn't see it anywhere else.

[enlightenment]

3. It was discussed on NPR yesterday.

At the time there was not evidence of exposure, but I'm sure they anticipated it since the device was found "unpacked" from its container.

[Mr.Bill]

5. Thanks for the info.

I can't get any NPR where I live.

[n2doc]

11. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024136347

[Mr.Bill]

12. Thanks.

Yahoo News has pretty much the same story now.

[groundloop]

4. Dizzy and Vomiting - been there and done that (but it wasn't radiation poisoning)

SO, has ALL the cobalt 60 been found yet or not? I've seen stories going both ways, so obviously someone is misinformed.

[maindawg]

7. Ya they found it

It will take a couple days to get it put back into a container

[maindawg]

8. Darwin award time

And the winner is.........

[Brother Buzz]

9. Before you print the program

Let's determine whether they were culpable or simply an innocent third-party.

[Vogon_Glory]

13. Sorry, But I Don't Believe All Six Were Innocent Bystanders

Sorry, but I don't believe that all six suspects were innocent bystanders. I suspect that at least one or two do qualify for the Darwin awards finals.

[SoapBox]

10. Sometimes theft pay back can be a real

"B" word.

Not sure if I can even imply the word but that's how the saying goes.

[8 track mind]

14. Remember folks, don't touch the glowing stuff!

otherwise, highly radioactive waste is your FRIEND!

[MillennialDem]

15. Doesn't puking at this point indicate a nonfatal dose? I thought fatal doses led to throwing

up within minutes.

[PoliticAverse]

16. CNN: Six tested for radiation now face questions in Mexico radioactive theft

CNN) -- Six men potentially exposed to radioactive material stashed inside a stolen truck were examined at a Mexico hospital on Friday, a day after authorities said they'd recovered all of the potentially deadly substance.

All six of the men tested at Pachuca General Hospital were negative for radiation poisoning, Hidalgo state health official Jose Antonio Copca said. They were released around 6:10 p.m. (7:10 p.m. ET), the state's health agency said in a statement.

After their release, the six were to be interrogated by authorities to determine if they were involved in the theft of cobalt-60, said Jose Luis Manjarrez, a spokesman for Mexico's Attorney General's office.

The six live near where the dangerous material had been, though Copca said only one showed symptoms such as nausea and headaches consistent with radiation poisoning. They were taken to Pachuca General, in the state capital of Hidalgo, by federal police officers, according to the state health agency.

Read the rest: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/world/americas/mexico-radioactive-theft/

[PoliticAverse]

17. USA Today: 6 suspects cleared of radiation poisoning in Mexico

Six people examined in Mexico for possible radiation poisoning have been detained over the theft of a truck hauling radioactive medical equipment to a nuclear waste facility, authorities said Friday.

The suspects, five adults and a teenager, were tested at General Hospital in Pachucain, the capital of Hidalgo state. Police blocked access to the hospital.

The six experienced skin irritations and dizziness, but only one had nausea, a sign of possible radiation poisoning, said Hidalgo state Health Minister Pedro Luis Noble. They were cleared and released early Friday evening, and then turned over to federal police for questioning.

Read the rest at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/06/mexico-radiation-poisoning-stolen-truck/3897561/