Radioactive material found in southern Pak

Islamabad, Jul 11: The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) has found two unclaimed sealed containers with radioactive material in the Korangi area of the port city of Karachi.

According to a private TV channel Dawn News, the containers were found buried in an area owned by the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC). It said PNRA nuclear inspectors had detected radioactivity from the containers, adding that they were waxed and sealed, so they posed little risk. The channel quoted PNRA sources today as saying that the material might be of Soviet origin and could have been lying in the area for decades.

However, it added that it could not be known exactly how much material was buried at the Oil and Gas facility, because the OGDC had denied any knowledge of it. The PNRA is making efforts for the safe disposal of the material.

UNI