NEW DELHI: Panic gripped the Indira Gandhi International airport here on Friday morning after reports of a radioactive substance leak at the cargo terminal. Flyers started leaving the airport as the news about the leak spread. However, later in the day, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) concluded that there was no radioactive leak.
An initial report said the leak was at the departure area and later it was found that it was at the cargo terminal, which is almost a kilometre away. Immediately, cargo operations were suspended and staff moved out. Soon, the National Disaster Response Force was called in to check the substance. “A special 10-member team from its base in Dwarka, close to the airport, rushed to the spot and the area was sanitised,” said NDRF chief O P Singh. The Atomic Mineral Division of the Department of Atomic Energy and AERB teams were also called in.
During investigation, they found that when two loaders — Randhir and Ramakant — were handling a consignment marked 'Radioactive Material Type', which was meant to be sent to Fortis Hospital, they felt irritation. The consignment had arrived on a Turkish Airlines aircraft at 4.35 am and was imported from Turkey.
The leak was observed in four of the 10 containers of 13 kg each. The boxes had allegedly become damaged and the liquid splattered over the container having the radioactive material. “Some packets were found wet and the cargo staff thought that it may be due to leakage from the consignment,” said District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar.