Hueypoxtla or Villa de San Bartolomé Hueypoxtla is a town and municipal seat from
Hueypoxtla Municipality in
Mexico State
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from th ...
, in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. In 2010, this village had a total population of 3,989.
History
![Hueypoxtla 14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Hueypoxtla_14.JPG)
On December 4, 2013,
cobalt-60
Cobalt-60 (60Co) is a synthetic radioactive isotope of cobalt with a half-life of 5.2713 years. It is produced artificially in nuclear reactors. Deliberate industrial production depends on neutron activation of bulk samples of the monoisoto ...
from a truck theft two days before away was recovered there, as well as the heavy truck itself; the decommissioned
cobalt therapy
Cobalt therapy is the medical use of gamma rays from the radioisotope cobalt-60 to treat conditions such as cancer. Beginning in the 1950s, cobalt-60 was widely used in external beam radiotherapy (teletherapy) machines, which produced a beam ...
machine had been ''en route'' to proper disposal. Federal police and military units established an armed cordon approximately around the radiation source in the empty lot where it had been abandoned. Six people showing signs of possible radiation exposure from the
orphan source
An orphan source is a self-contained radioactive source that is no longer under proper regulatory control.
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines an orphan source more exactly as:
...a sealed source of radioactive material con ...
were later detained. It is not known whether the thieves wanted the truck (which included a crane), the cobalt-60, or both.
References
Populated places in the State of Mexico
Populated places in the Teotlalpan
Radiation accidents and incidents
Nahua settlements
Otomi settlements
{{México-geo-stub