US: Texas authorities report missing camera with radioactive material in Houston area

A device with radioactive material is missing in the Houston region as per local authorities. They saidthey want to find it before someone is harmed, as reported by NBC news.

According to state health services officials, the radiography camera contains radioactive material that is "sealed within multiple layers of protection," so unless it is completely disassembled, it is unlikely to pose much of a threat.

"It does have a radioactive symbol on the side of it, but if somebody were to get into the part of the capsule where the radioactive material is, it's extremely hazardous, like losing fingers," said Lara Anton, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, who spoke to NBC News.

"Our goal is for people to let us know if they see it so that we can take back possession of it," she added.

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The device, which is a kind of portable X-ray machine used for seeing hidden structures, is widely employed in the oil and construction sectors. It disappeared on Thursday from a vehicle parked at a restaurant when employees went to get lunch, according to Anton.

A search for radioactive sources within a five-mile radius of the restaurant, just north of the city line, was unsuccessful, she said.

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According to the National Nuclear Security Agency, industrial radiography cameras are frequently used to check the condition of ships, pipelines, and other small spaces. These cameras may employ a very high-activity gamma radiation source, as per CNN reports.

As per Texas officials, anybody who discovers the camera, which is marked with radioactivity, should not attempt to open it and instead report its position by calling 9-1-1 or the DSHS 24-hour phone line.

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