Mine event in India on Thu 16th November 2006

An industrial ionizing radiation gauging device (IRGD/nucleonic density gauge) containing about 9.25 GBq Cs-137 source, used in a Coal Washery, was stolen on 16 November 2006. The overall weight of this IRGD is about 45 kg with lead shielding. 
The IRGD could not be located despite an extensive search operation carried out using high sensitivity radiation survey instruments. It is expected that the source is inside the lead housing of the IRGD. The IRGD has adequate lead shielding with proper locking arrangement to prevent inadvertent removal of the radioactive source from the device by members of the public. As long as the radioactive source is inside the lead housing of the IRGD, it does not pose any significant radiological hazard to the members of the public, hence the event is considered to be insignificant from radiological safety point of view.