How a Single Powder Ruined a Town

In Goiânia, Brazil, two thieves broke into an abandoned cancer treatment hospital while it was unguarded. Searching for valuables, they found a radiotherapy device. They dismantled it and extracted a capsule from within. This capsule contained Cesium-137, which emitted deadly radiation. The thieves then sold the powder to a scrap dealer. Subsequently, the powder spread throughout the town, affecting the scrap dealer's family and the entire community, engulfing the town in radiation. After Brazilian authorities contained the situation, the incident was classified as a Level 5 radiation accident.