IAEA in contact with Egypt after theft of radioactive devices

Jan 19, 2012, 16:19 GMT

Vienna/Cairo - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday said it was in contact with authorities in Cairo regarding the reported theft of radioactive devices from a partially-constructed nuclear power plant in Egypt.

The devices were stolen during protests by residents against the construction of the plant in north-western al-Dabaa region, Egypt's semi-official newspaper Al Ahram reported on Thursday.

Security agencies were notified about the incident, according to Al-Ahram.

The residents are demanding its relocation, saying their land has been expropriated for the plant.

An IAEA official, who did not want to be named, said the stolen items were tools containing radioactive material, which are used to calibrate measuring devices.

'They are pretty low-end, small and not very radioactive,' the Vienna-based official told dpa.

Although such devices cannot cause major damage, concern has risen after the 9/11 attacks in the United States that terrorists might use low-level radioactive material in a bomb to cause panic and disruption.

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