Goiânia accident
The Goiânia accident [ɡojˈjɐniɐ] was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on September 13, 1987, in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, after an unsecured radiotherapy source was stolen from an abandoned hospital site in the city. It was subsequently handled by many people, resulting in four deaths. About 112,000 people were examined for radioactive contamination and 249 of them were found to have been contaminated.
A photograph of the radioactive source involved in the 1987 accident. | |
| Date | September 13, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Location | Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil |
| Coordinates | 16°40′29″S 49°15′51″W |
| Type | Radiation accident |
| Cause | Radiation source left unsecured by authorities |
| Participants |
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| Outcome | INES Level 5 (accident with wider consequences) |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 249 contaminated |
In the consequent cleanup operation, topsoil had to be removed from several sites, and several houses were demolished. All the objects from within those houses, including personal possessions, were seized and incinerated. Time magazine has identified the accident as one of the world's "worst nuclear disasters" and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called it "one of the world's worst radiological incidents".