Radioactive leak in Delhi airport, NDRF says nothing to panic

A radioactive substance leaked from a medical shipment flown from France at the international airport here on Sunday but authorities later said there was nothing to panic.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Bhatia quoted the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as saying that the radioactivity following the leak was within permissible limits.

No one at the airport had been affected, officials said.

The NDRF, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Delhi Fire Service and security agencies rushed to the Indira Gandhi International Airport following reports that a radioactive substance had leaked at the cargo terminal.

Delhi Police got the first call around 10.25 a.m.

"Six packets containing solid sodium molybdate had arrived from Paris by flight AF 226. The consignment was meant for cargo terminal but mistakenly placed in an area meant for courier (packets)," Bhatia told IANS.

The officer said the consignee was identified as Dhitee Biotech India Pvt Ltd, located at the Okhla industrial area in south Delhi.

"The NDRF, DAE and other agencies reached the spot... No injury or any problems to any human has been observed so far," the officer said.

"The NDRF has confirmed that radioactivity is within the permissible limits," he added.

Police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have cordoned off the area.

The Delhi Fire Services earlier identified the substance as Molybdenum-99.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), however, said there was no radioactive leak at the Airport. DIAL is a GMR Group-led consortium which manages and operates the airport.

--IANS

rak-rup-rv/mr/vd