Documentary Revisits 1987 Goiânia Cesium‑137 Tragedy
On 13 September 1987, two waste‑pickers entered the abandoned Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia in downtown Goiânia and opened a sealed radiotherapy source, exposing themselves to cesium‑137. The bright blue powder was later sold to a scrap‑metal dealer and spread among family members, causing severe radiation sickness. Six‑year‑old Leide das Neves died on 23 September, and three others succumbed weeks later; her mother, Lourdes das Neves, was later buried in a 700‑kg lead coffin.
The incident, Brazil’s worst radiological disaster, is portrayed in the short documentary “Lourdes e Leide” directed by Angelo Lima. The film, shown at the Bonito CineSur festival in Mato Grosso do Sul, follows Lourdes’s lonely daily life and the lingering trauma of the family. Lima condemns the state for failing to prevent the tragedy and calls for reparations. Recent news of another child’s death in the family has revived memories of the 1987 disaster, underscoring the lasting impact of the incident.
The documentary aims to preserve the memory of the tragedy, highlighting both the human suffering and the broader lessons about radiation safety.
Entities: Angelo Lima · Cesium‑137 · Devair Alves Ferreira · Goiânia · Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia · Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia (IGR) · Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia (IGR) · Leide das Neves · Lourdes · Lourdes das Neves
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] They removed a sealed capsule containing cesium‑137 powder that glowed blue in the dark. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The incident is Brazil’s largest radiological accident in history. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] On 13 September 1987, two waste pickers entered the abandoned Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia building in Goiânia. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The waste pickers sold the material to scrap dealer Devair Alves Ferreira. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The documentary 'Lourdes e Leide', directed by Angelo Lima, recounts the tragedy and was shown at the Bonito CineSur festival in Mato Grosso do Sul. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Six‑year‑old Leide das Neves ingested cesium‑137 particles and died a few days later. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The material was distributed to family and friends, causing acute radiation symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Director Angelo Lima blames the state for the tragedy and calls for reparations for the victims. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Director Angelo Lima said the incident was “uma tragédia silenciosa”. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The incident is the largest radiological accident in Brazil’s history. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Filmmaker Angelo Lima directed the short documentary “Lourdes e Leide” about the tragedy. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Ivo Ferreira gave some of the cesium‑137 material to his daughter Leide das Neves, who ingested it and died a few days later at age six. (All articles)