Uranium stolen in India

"It carries uranium and radiation and could have an adverse effect in an area of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mile)," Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Khoda warned.

Khoda said the uranium was stolen nearly three weeks ago after being moved to a research site at the densely-populated town of Rajrappa from a federal atomic facility near Mumbai.

The United States and India this month signed a landmark atomic energy deal to give India access to western technology and nuclear fuel, despite warnings from critics that demand tighter security measures to prevent proliferation.

Khoda did not say to what degree the uranium was enriched to, although an official from Jharkhand's Central Mine Planning and Development Institute (CMPDI) said the missing material was not highly-enriched.

"It was not highly-enriched but neither was it just yellow cake (uranium ore) and it was meant for a project but we can't talk about that," the official from the Ranchi-based CMPDI said on condition he not be named.

"It's useless in the hands of unskilled people," the official said without elaborating. The capsule was stolen from a CMPDI-run facility.

Rajrappa police said they were alerted to the theft on December 4.

Arjun Munda, an opposition leader in Jharkhand's legislative assembly, demanded speedy action.

"The government must initiate immediate steps to find the apparatus as it is extremely hazardous," he said in state capital Ranchi.