[LoonyPandora]

Sounds like a very similar chain of events to the Goiânia_accident [0]

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident

[Trufa]

If you understand spanish, I recommend this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YIalaC0M_A

It's a Uruguayan folk song about the accent, it's a really nice song but very very sad.

(If you don't understand Spanish, you might enjoy it anyway).

[rjbwork]

I think you mean accident, not accent. I was a bit confused at first.

[raverbashing]

This is surprisingly interesting.

[ck2]

Devair Ferreira himself survived despite receiving 7 Gy of radiation.

Whoa. I wonder if some people have genetics making them slightly more tolerant of radiation.

This is a horrifying read too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_civilian_radiation_acci...

[cstuder]

A notable one (For us): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25

Bad interface design and bad engineering practices leads to multiple deaths.

[twistedpair]

Every see those vertical yellow gateways at border crossings and interstate weigh stations? Those are radiation scanners. Partially to keep terrorists at bay, but also to keep stuff like this at bay. In the 3rd world, this is sadly a frequent occurrence that these materials are used as scrap.

Example detector: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/jpodocs/repts_te/14400_files/5_13.jpg

[slowmover]

Another similar incident, this time in Juarez.

http://www.window.state.tx.us/border/ch09/cobalto.html

The hapless Sotelo--who, remarkably, seems to have escaped serious contamination--was arrested in 1990 on theft charges. In the prison where he still awaits sentencing, the guards call him El Cobalto--the Cobalt Man.

[raverbashing]

One difference: one was a robbery, one was "found" (the Goiania accident - yes, technically stolen, from an abandoned place)

Maybe the Mexicans already realized what they stole (and the danger of it)

[ScotterC]

Ahh but that was Cesium 137. Much much more dangerous