The Radiological Accident in Samut Prakarn

In late January and early February 2000 a radiological accident occurred in Samut Prakarn, Thailand, when a disused Co-60 teletherapy head was partially dismantled, taken from an unsecured storage location and sold as scrap metal. Altogether, ten people received high doses from this source, out of whom three died within two months of the accident as a consequence of their exposure. The present report gives an account of the circumstances which led to the accident, the medical aspects and the lessons learned.