Medical radioactive material truck 'stolen in Mexico'
A truck carrying medical radioactive material has been stolen in Mexico, the UN's nuclear watchdog says, according to the BBC.
Mexico told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the truck was carrying a "dangerous radioactive source" used for cancer treatments when it was stolen on Monday.
The radiotherapy source was being taken from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a waste storage centre.
It was stolen near the capital, Mexico City.
Mexico's Nuclear Security Commission said that at the time of the theft, the cobalt-60 teletherapy source was "properly shielded."
But the commission warned it could be "extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged."
Local media reported that the truck, a 2.5-tonne Volkswagen Worker, was stolen by armed men at a petrol station in Tepojaco, on the outskirts of Mexico City on Monday morning.
Mexican police are currently conducting a search for the truck and its contents and have issued a press release to alert the public of its potential dangers.
Experts have long warned about the danger posed by radioactive material used for medical treatments and research in hospitals.