Investigations have allegedly revealed that an organic solvent, N-Vinyl Pyrodine, had leaked.
Hours after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that a radioactive leak at the Delhi international airport's cargo hold had been plugged, the atomic regulatory board said there had been no such leak.
On Friday morning emergency teams were rushed to the Delhi airport after four cartons of a medical consignment were reported to have leaked sodium iodide, used in the treatment of cancer.
A preliminary assessment of "the material has been termed as that of low radio activity - Sodium Iodide Liquid Class 7 meant for medicinal use," a Delhi airport statement said.
Investigations have now allegedly revealed that an organic solvent, N-Vinyl Pyrodine, had leaked from a package placed near the medical consignment, wetting the four cartons.
Two workers who handled the sodium iodide consignment, meant for a private hospital, had complained of irritation in the eyes and were taken to hospital for a preliminary check. They were soon back at work, cleared for radiation levels.
The so-called nuclear medical consignment had arrived on a Turkish Airlines plane this morning. Soon after the leak was reported, Rajnath Singh, who was holding a press conference, said, the leak had been "plugged".
Officials had emphasised that there was no need for panic. They pointed out that passenger terminals of the airport are "far away" from the cargo area, which was sanitised and cordoned off by the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF.
"The radioactive leak was very very small. There is nothing to panic about and there is no effect on the passenger area," said NDRF chief OP Singh had said earlier in the day.
Turkish Airlines said in statement, "The cargo package containing medical material and carried by Turkish Airlines' TK716 Istanbul - Delhi flight has been examined by the official authorities in Delhi on suspicion of radioactive leak due to the wetness seen on the mentioned package."
"Turkish Airlines's relevant cargo and technical teams have effectuated the necessary controls and radiological surveys on-board the aircraft landed back to Istanbul but no evidence has been detected," it said.