Delhi University apologises for radioactive leak

NEW DELHI - Delhi University Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental Thursday accepted “moral responsibility” for the radioactive accident that killed one man and injured seven in a scrap market here. The radioactive source was traced to the university’s chemistry department laboratory.

“The university is very apologetic and takes moral responsibility (for the accident)… No amount can compensate for the damage,” Pental told reporters here.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has sent a team to investigate the matter after police revealed Wednesday evening that the radioactive source in the scrap was from a gamma cell auctioned by the university’s department of chemistry, Pental said.

In addition, the university has also set up a committee to investigate the matter.

He added that the device had been presumed to have become inactive since it had been in storage for 42 years.

“Our university has strong desire that this be investigated and recorded. Even for the future we must learn from this incident. Such accidents shouldn’t happen even remotely,” the vice chancellor said.