'Radioactive substance' leaks in Delhi airport

New Delhi, Oct 9  Fire tenders rushed to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here on Sunday after "radioactive substance" leaked from a medical shipment flown from France, officials said.

The Delhi Fire Services said it received a complaint at around 10.40 a.m about the leak at the cargo terminal at Terminal 3 where international flights land.

"We received a complaint from the airport authorities that Molybdenum-99 has leaked from some medical shipment from a cargo brought by an Air France plane," a senior fire official told IANS.

"The element, though not exactly a radioactive element, has some of its properties. We sent seven fire tenders. The situation is under control," the official said.

Delhi Police said the entire area had been cordoned off and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had been informed about the incident.

Although the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) did not comment, informed sources said the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) had rushed a team to the airport.