New Delhi: There was no release of radiation from the sole medical device containing radioactive material in the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata where a massive fire broke out this morning, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board said.
A High Dose Rate brachytherapy unit with radioactive Iridium-192 as source was situated in the lower basement of the Kolkata Hospital where the fire broke out, AERB secretary R Bhattacharya said in a statement.
A radiation protection team reached the brachytherapy unit to survey the area and confirmed that there was no release of radioactivity from this source, he said.
"At present the situation is under full control as far as the radioactive source present at the hospital is concerned," he said.
The brachytherapy unit was not in operation during the incident and thereby the source was in safely retracted condition in the tungsten alloy container, which is located inside the brachytherapy unit, Bhattacharya said.
He said the AERB was in constant communication with the Radiological Safety Officer of the hospital and monitoring the situation.
"Two officers of AERB, who are on an inspection campaign in Kolkata area, have also been directed to monitor the radiological safety status at the hospital," Bhattacharya said.
An engineer of the supplier of the unit and National Disaster Rescue Force personnel are also present at the hospital.
The hospital has three linear accelerators, which are radiation generating equipment and do not contain any radioactive material, the AERB said.
Over 80 people choked to death in the fire.
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