Radioactive material missing in Mexico

The authorities in Mexico have offered a reward of two-and-a-half thousand dollars for the return of a container of dangerous radioactive material that has gone missing, apparently after falling off the back of a truck.

The National Commission for Nuclear Safety has also issued a public safety warning about the metal box which went missing just outside Mexico City eleven days ago.

The box contains irridium, a radioactive material used for industrial x-rays, which can prove fatal when it comes into contact with the skin.

The BBC correspondent in Mexico City says it's the second such incident this year, and has led to renewed questions about safety standards.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service