Radioactive zinc shipment in Philippines onshore in 'safe' location

Manila: More than 20 containers of radioactive zinc stranded in Manila Bay for months have been brought ashore to a safe place , the country s nuclea...

Manila: More than 20 containers of radioactive zinc stranded in Manila Bay for months have been brought ashore to a "safe place", the country's nuclear research director told AFP on Wednesday.

The 23 containers arrived in Manila aboard the MV Hansa Augsburg in late September after Indonesian authorities "rejected and reexported" them after discovering traces of radioactive Caesium-137.

Jakarta sent the shipment back as it clamped down on scrap iron and steel imports amid a scandal over alleged radioactive contamination of food products.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the containers were offloaded at Manila's port on Sunday at 10:27 am.

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) director Carlo Arcilla, who called the issue a "solvable problem" in October, told AFP the zinc was now awaiting a medium-term solution, with storage at the Subic Bay military facility a likely option.