No radiation leak detected at Kuwait Airport

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health confirmed that no radiation leakage was detected in Kuwait Airport after the drop of four containers of radioactive materials during transportation of radioactive material shipment to airport warehouses.

In statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) late Saturday, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Dr. Majeda Al-Qattan said that the Ministry has received a call from the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) that four containers, containing radioactive iodine that were imported for the Health Ministry's Nuclear Medicine Department, fell during transportation from the plane to warehouses.

In a response, a ministry's radioactive materials inspection team rushed to the scene and examined the containers and took samples from the surrounding area to gauge the level of radiation. The radiation measurement showed that there was no leakage at all from any of the containers, she stated.

Al-Qattan noted that the technical examination of the four containers showed that the damage in two were in the outer frame and in other two were in the inside seal boxes which contain the radioactive material, but nothing was
leaked, KUNA reported.