Alarm bells were sounded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday morning when a leak from a medicinal consignment that was thought to be radioactive was reported in the cargo area of the airport.
After conducting preliminary investigations, Sekhar Basu, Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai told The Hindu when contacted that “the reports of a radioactive leak turned out to be a false alarm actually. A package arrived from a foreign country carrying Iodine 131 which is used in radiotherapy for thyroid. Next to these containers was another container carrying N Venal Pyrodine, which is not radioactive, that had leaked.”
Airport officials did panic after discovering that the contents had leaked and a DAE team from Delhi was rushed there, but they did not find any radioactivity,” Dr. Basu added.
Earlier in the day, NDRF teams were rushed to the spot and the area was isolated as they worked to neutralise the threat. NDRF chief O.P. Singh said a special 10-member team from its base in Dwarka had been rushed to the spot and has assured that “Radioactive leak very, very small. There is nothing to panic and there is no effect on the passenger area.”
Sources in the police said that they ensured that multiple disaster teams that needed to reach the plan were given smooth passage and evacuation plans were put in place if the need arose. However, this was not needed and airport operations were not hit.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day had said in a statement that the leak has been plugged and the situation was under control.
Reacting to the situation, a Delhi International Airport Limited spokesperson has confirmed that there was no leak of any radioactive substance in the subject shipments at Delhi Airport. Based on the clearance from AERB, Celebi has already resumed the Import operations. All other operations at Delhi Airport continue to be normal and were never interrupted.
The consignment came in by a Turkish Airlines flight into the city to be delivered to a private hospital in the city.
