Radioactive substance spills at BARC lab

A chemical spill at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in Mumbai left ten people vulnerable to minor radiation. On Tuesday evening, a radioactive chemical spilled out from a flask during an experiment. Ten people working in the lab were put through rigorous medical tests, and three who were suspected to have been affected were "decontaminated." One person, whose hand touched the radioactive chemical, is under observation for possible internal contamination. In an official statement, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre noted, "The incident involved minor contamination of the hands of a person who was involved in the transfer of samples in a sealed container from one laboratory to another for analysis. The incident is of a very minor nature with no safety consequences." In December, two scientists died in a fire at BARC. (Read: Fire at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, 2 killed) Delhi is still recovering from one of the country's worst radiation crises - a machine containing radioactive Cobalt-60 was dismantled in a scarp market without any precautions or protective gear by scrap dealers. One person died as a result, six others were hospitalized.