MELTDOWN

Public Warned After Radioactive Camera Goes Missing

But the good news is that there’s a handsome reward on offer if it’s found.

The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a public notice over the weekend warning that a camera containing radioactive material has gone missing somewhere in the Houston area. The radiographic camera, which has been unaccounted for since Thursday, is used in construction to detect flaws in materials that can’t be seen with the naked eye. A spokesperson for the State Health Services said workers realized the camera was missing when they returned to their work site after visiting a fast-food restaurant. Authorities said the camera’s radioactive material is “sealed within multiple layers of protection, and the risk of exposure is very low” but warned members of the public that they “should not try to open it” if it’s found. “If somebody were to try and take it apart and get to the radioactive material, it’s pretty dangerous pretty quickly,” State Health Services spokeswoman Lara Anton told The New York Times. Statewide Maintenance Company, which owns the device, is offering a $3,000 reward for its safe return.