Mexico is on alert after a truck carrying an industrial device containing hazardous radioactive material was stolen.

According to Mexico's National Coordination of Civil Protection, a 2006 red Chevrolet Silverado pickup was transporting a device with radioactive Iridium-192 when it was stolen in San Juan del Rio in the state of Queretaro, CNN reported. The theft occurred early on Saturday at around 6 AM local time (7 AM ET).

Iridium's Serious Effects

A statement (as translated by NBC News) said that the radioactive material, which was encased in a bright yellow container, "can be dangerous to people if not handled in safe conditions or if handled without the right protection."

"It can cause permanent or grave wounds to a person who handles it or is in touch with it during a brief period (between minutes and hours). If the material is not found in its container it represents an important risk to health. The material is nevertheless not dangerous if it is still in its packaging," the statement continued.

Five Mexican states are on alert after the theft: Queretaro, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Michoacan, NBC News listed. The Federal Highway Police is also on the lookout for the stolen vehicle, CNN noted.

The device is used for industrial radiography, CNN further reported. The nuclear commission said that the radioactive material inside the device can be fatal if it is removed from its protective casing. Both the truck and radioactive material are owned by the company Central Industrial Maintenance.

Mexico's nuclear commission "did not say whether the radioactive material was the target of the theft, or if the truck thieves made off with more than they bargained for," the news outlet wrote.

An industrial radiography device is used to examine pipelines for structural issues like weakening welds, CNN added. The device uses the radioactive isotope Iridium-192 to emit gamma radiation. These gamma rays beamed by the isotope bring deadly doses of radiation at close distances.

Other Thefts

This was not the first time that Mexico reported iridium theft. In April 2015, a container with Iridium-192 was stolen and recovered after one week in the country's southeastern region. Last year's case was the fourth iridium theft since 2013, NBC News reported.

Another device containing radioactive material also went missing from a contractor in Iraq this year, CNN wrote. This prompted speculations that it ended up in the hands of ISIS, who could use it to make a bomb or pollute water supplies. The material was later found intact near a police station.

Learn more about Iridium-192 by watching the video below.