Police in Vietnam search for radioactive device missing from cement plant The factory of Bac Kan Cement Company, where a device containing highly radioactive material has recently mysteriously disappeared. Photo: Thai Sinh Police in the northern province of Bac Kan are searching for an industrial device containing a radioactive substance which has recently been found missing from a closed cement factory.  The gauging device, containing cesium-137, was reported missing from the factory of Bac Kan Cement Company on December 15.  The factory has been shut down due to huge losses since March. It was seized by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam during the foreclosure process.  In May, officials of the province’s Department of Science and Technology asked the firm to transfer the highly radioactive source to a safer place, citing that there had been no guard protecting the factory since the shutdown.  Authorities said they are examining the scene and searching for the missing device, which was used for clinker level measurement.  Radioactive exposure can lead to injuries and long-term health problems, including birth deformities and cancer.  By Thai Sinh, Thanh Nien New