The source of fresh radiation in a west Delhi scrap market was today attributed to radioactive Cobalt-60, the same substance that caused radiation in the area last week.

Eight sources of radioactive Cobalt-60 were detected last week while the two fresh cases of radiation were detected yesterday from Mayapuri scrap market. Seven persons were injured after getting exposed to the radioactive substance.

"The material what we recovered last night is different in size and shape compared to what we recovered last week. But it is Cobalt-60," S K Malhotra, Public Awareness Officer of Department of Atomic Energy, said.

"Our team from Atomic Minerals Directorate Unit was combing the area for possible radiation. We had gone there for a routine check when we detected higher than normal radiation levels in 500 metres of the shop where radiation was detected earlier," he said.

He said the government should also now plan a combing operation in the entire market.

Panic was triggered in the locality last week after news of a radiation leak spread with six persons falling ill after coming in contact with a "mysterious shining object" in a scrap shop, later identified as Co-60.

NDMA member B B Bhattacharya told PTI that the Authority will extend the searches to the entire market and will conduct it during the night hours.

"We will do the searches in the night as during day it is not feasible," he said.

Earlier report:

Two more radiation sources detected

The official said there were no fresh cases of hospitalisation in the national capital as the seventh patient was admitted on Sunday.

NDMA member J K Bansal said the Authority will be doing radiation monitoring by radio biodosimetry which will be done at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Life Sciences.

He said there was "no risk" at the moment but "whosoever has been already been exposed there may be very low exposure, not showing any symptoms, so they are being monitored".

Meanwhile, police remained clueless about the origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 recovered from the scrap shop last week. Investigators are yet to receive any report from Department of Atomic Energy regarding Cobalt-60 recovered from Mayapuri scrap market.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said they were yet to make any headway in the probe as investigators could not speak to Jain.

Asked about reports putting the origin of the radioactive material to foreign countries, he said it was speculation and they have not received any report from experts.

AERB experts, along with Department of Atomic Energy scientists, has safely removed eight bunches of metal scraps containing sources of Cobalt-60 radioactive isotope from the West Delhi shop and transported the material to the Narora Atomic Power Station in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier report:

Radioactive material detected again in Delhi scrap market

Radioactive material appears to be pouring in a scrap market in west Delhi's industrial area with police today saying experts detected a new source of radiation from a location which was "quite far off" from the earlier one.

A senior police official said the new source of radiation was detected "quite far off" from the earlier one which was detected on last Friday in a shop in Mayapuri owned by one Deepak Jain, who is in a serious condition in Apollo Hospital.

"Fresh radiation was detected in a shop in the Mayapuri market.It is quite far off from the shop where radiation was detected last week," the official said.

Asked whether it was a lapse on part of experts who conducted searches last week, he answered in the negative saying the new source of radiation was at least 500 metres from the shop where the radiation was detected earlier.