Authorities in the Houston area are searching for a missing device that they say contains radioactive material inside it and could potentially cause harm to the public.
The device is a radiographic camera, which state health services officials say has radioactive material “sealed within multiple layers of protection.” The device is not likely to pose a threat to the general public unless it is dismantled, officials shared in a statement.
“It does have a radioactive symbol on the side of it, but if somebody were to get into the part of the capsule where the radioactive material is, it’s extremely hazardous, like losing fingers,” Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, shared with NBC News.
As it’s been missing since Thursday, Anton says that if anyone sees the device, they should let the department know so that they “can take back possession of it.”
The device is used to see hidden structures, as it acts like a portable X-ray machine, and is commonly found in construction and oil industries. Anton shared that the device went missing at a restaurant when workers parked the truck it was in and went to buy themselves lunch.
“We’ve obviously already contacted pawnshops, because when it does happen and somebody tries to pawn it, pawn shops and are on the lookout for it — and scrap metal places,” Anton said.
The device belongs to the Statewide Maintenance Company, according to the department’s statement. It weighs in at 53 pounds.
If the device is found, the department asks that the finder calls 911 or the DSHS phone line at 512-458-7460. A reward is also being offered by the Statewide Maintenance Company for those who find the device.
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