Delhi cops have no clue to radioactive material source

NEW DELHI - The police were Sunday still clueless about the source of the radioactive material found in a Delhi scrap market that left six people in critical condition after being exposed to radiation.

“We are trying to find the origin of Cobalt 60. All the recovered radiation material has been shifted to Narora atomic power station in Uttar Pradesh,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Agarwal.

The condition of six people who were exposed to Cobalt 60 at the market in west Delhi’s Mayapuri area continued to be serious, doctor said.

Scrap metal dealer Deepak Jain suffered severe burns and is battling for life at the Indraprashtha Apollo Hospital while five others — Gaurav, Rajendra Prasad, Ramjee Yadav, Ram Kalap and Himanshu Jain — have been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

“All of them have been kept in isolation ward and are under observation. Their condition is stable and as of now bone marrow transplant is not required,” said D.K. Sharma, AIIMS medical superintendent.

A senior official at the Indraprashtha Apollo Hospital said that Jain, who was admitted Thursday night, continues to be in a critical condition.

“We are keeping a close tab on his health and have been updating atomic energy experts of the government of India,” the official said.

Jain’s body turned black after he touched the material, according to eyewitnesses.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) had received information from the Indraprashtha Apollo Hospital that Jain was showing symptoms of suspected exposure to radiation.

The Crisis Management Group in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was activated and officers from DAE and AERB was sent to New Delhi with a wide range of radiation monitoring and detecting equipment for prompt identification and recovery of the radioactive pieces and their safe disposal.