In search of a container with highly radioactive contents that disappeared from a power plant, Thai investigators have found traces in a nearby foundry. It was the steel foundry in the province of Prachinburi, said the governor Ronnarong Nakornjinda on Monday. It is unclear whether the container "has already melted". However, the radioactive material is in any case in a "closed" area, there is no evidence of contamination of the environment.

A coal-fired power plant ten kilometers away had reported the 25-kilogram steel cylinder as missing the week before last. The staff of the power plant had noticed during a routine inspection that the 30-centimeter-long steel cylinder, which was part of a device for measuring the vapor pressure in the plant and, according to official data, contained highly radioactive cesium-137, was no longer there. This was followed by a search with hundreds of emergency personnel and drones. In addition, a finder's reward of the equivalent of 2750 euros was suspended.

The authorities are now checking the radiation levels in the vicinity of the steel foundry. So far, no radioactive material has "leaked from the control area," said Kitkawin Aramrun of Thailand's Nuclear Research Agency. "We are confident that we can keep the situation under control and limit the contamination zone." According to the health authorities, the foundry's 70 employees, including 60 foreigners, are doing well so far. The plant has been closed, the health of the workers is closely monitored.

Thai police said on Monday that there were indications that the disappearance of the capsule had not been noticed on March 10, as explained by the operator of the coal-fired power plant, but already on February 17. National Power Plant 5A will be held accountable for this offense.

The lack of clarity regarding the condition of the radioactive capsule has led to anger among the Thai population. Many users in the country complained on social networks about the government's hesitant approach. On Twitter in Thailand, the hashtag "Cesium-137" trended on Monday. Prachinburi is only about 150 kilometers from Bangkok and attracts some tourists due to a national park and other attractions.

In mid-January, a tiny capsule containing cesium-137 was lost in Australia, which had fallen from a truck while transporting it from an iron ore mine. Only two weeks later and after days of intensive searching, she was found again.