CBRN

Vial labelled "Polonium 210" discovered during Easter egg hunt in Germany

Firefighters in protective suits in Vaihingen an der Enz, Baden-Württemberg. Karsten Schmalz / KS-Images.de / dpa

Two men discovered a vial labelled "Polonium 210" in a garden in the town of Vaihingen an der Enz, north-west of Stuttgart, Germany, during an Easter egg hunt on Sunday, 5 April.

According to Yahoo News, the discovery triggered an emergency response as authorities tested for the potentially lethal radioactive substance. Emergency services are reported to have sent 138 personnel and 41 vehicles to the scene.

District fire chief Andy Dorroch said the men, who were unharmed by their discovery, found a small white plastic bottle with a red cap and subsequently called the emergency services. It remains unclear whether the 50-millilitre, 200-gram vial actually contained polonium 210, however on-site measurements to detect radioactivity are understood to have come back negative.

"We are assuming that this is indeed the substance in question," Dorroch said, noting that the name was "not just scribbled on by hand, but was clearly and officially labelled".

Officials from the German Environment Ministry collected the vial in order to analyse its contents and Ludwigsburg police have launched an investigation to determine its origin.

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Demolition of US chemical weapons destruction plant begins

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Georgian firefighters, first responders conduct CBRN exercise at chemical plant

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Danish Armed Forces, civil emergency services conduct CBRN exercise

Teledyne, Emesent to provide GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities in CBRN environments

Demolition of US chemical weapons destruction plant begins

Georgian firefighters, first responders conduct CBRN exercise at chemical plant