Ship with Radioactive Zinc Dust Stuck near Philippine Port, Official Says

A ship carrying 23 containers of radioactive zinc dust is currently stranded off the coast of the Philippines, unable to unload its cargo due to the lack of a disposal site. This shipment, originally intended for Indonesia, was returned to Manila after being found contaminated. Port authorities in Manila are refusing to allow the ship to unload until a local government agrees to manage the storage or disposal of the hazardous material. Despite the presence of caesium-137 in the zinc powder, officials assure that there is minimal radiation exposure outside the containers and the ship crew remains unharmed. This incident highlights the growing issue of radioactive materials being discovered in various parts of South-east Asia. Indonesia has also recently halted scrap metal imports following similar findings of caesium-137 contamination. The probe was initiated after the US Food and Drug Administration reported trace amounts of the radioactive material in frozen shrimp shipments from Indonesia, leading to product recalls by major retailers.