CBRN event in Kazybek bi District, Karaganda area, Kazakhstan on Thu 5th November 2015

While carrying out airborne geophysical surveys, Scientific Production Center Geoken LLP workers came across an unusually high level of gamma radiation in the south west of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. The workers reported the discovery to the environmental service, after which measures to protect the surrounding environment and health of the population were taken. After studying the area, specialists from the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan found the source of the gamma radiation to be a sealed cylinder with a length of 1.5cm and diameter of 1 cm, containing the isotope Cesium-137. As the cylinder's owner could not be determined, the specialists temporarily stored the device in a JSC Kazchermetavtomatika company isotope depository. Kazybek bi District Court ?2 in the Karaganda Region recognized the cylinder as ownerless and placed it under the ownership of the state.