IAEA still awaiting explanation from Kyrgyzstan on radioactive seizure

The UN atomic watchdog said Tuesday it was still waiting for information from the Kyrgyzstan government about an incident late last year involving radioactive material found on a train bound for Iran.

By Nuclear Power Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published January 21, 2008

"We've sent a formal request and we're still awaiting a response," a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

According to Kyrgyz authorities, Uzbekistan border guards detected Cesium-137 in a Kyrgyz freight train bound for Iran on December 29.

Cs-137, used in medical devices and gauges, is a by-product of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons testing.

The affair was not made public until January 10/11.

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