Date: 13 September 1999

Location: Gronzy, Chechnya, Russia

Type of event: attempted theft of source

Description:

Six individuals attempted to steal radioactive material from a chemical factory in Grozny. They opened a container and removed several of nine 12-cm rods of cobalt-60, each one 27,000 curies. One individual handled a source for a few minutes and reportedly died 30 minutes later. Of the others, two died of radiation exposure and three suffered radiation injury.

Consequences: 3 fatalities, 3 injuries.

References:

• Parrish, Scott, ed., 21 Oct. 1999, "Criminal dies stealing radioactive material," Center for Nonproliferation Studies, on line at Nuclear Threat Institute [http://www.nti.org/db/nistraff/1999/19990810.htm].

© 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 8 April 2005.
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