Cops hunt for two men accused of causing $200,000 damage to radiology centre in Queensland


Cops hunt for two men accused of causing a small radiology centre $200,000 worth of damage by flicking one VERY important switch

  • Police are searching for two men who damaged an MRI machine in Queensland
  • The pair are seen in CCTV footage turning off the chiller unit at about 1am
  • Queensland Radiology Specialists clinic do not know why they were targeted
  • Do you know more? Contact: [email protected]  

Investigators are on the lookout for two men who caused about $200,000 damage to a small medical practice with just the flick of a switch.

Queensland Police released CCTV footage showing the pair turning off the chiller unit at the back of the Queensland Radiology Specialists clinic in Springwood, south of Brisbane, at about 1am on February 20.

The mysterious figures both dressed in blue jeans and black shirts are now wanted for ‘willful damage’ as their actions caused an MRI machine to ‘explode’.

Investigators are on the lookout for two men (pictured) who caused about $200,000 damage to a small medical practice with just the flick of a switch.

Investigators are on the lookout for two men (pictured) who caused about $200,000 damage to a small medical practice with just the flick of a switch.

Patrick Bergin, the owner-director of the clinic described the ordeal as ‘unsettling’.

‘We have no idea why we were targeted or if they will come back,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Perhaps it’s just a couple of drunks that were looking for something to do but we really don’t know. We are pretty baffled.’

The clinic which performs radiology procedures for cancer patients, pregnant women and those with serious injuries was out of action for four days before experts from Sydney flew in to repair the machine.

The MRI’s chiller unit keeps the helium inside the machine cool.

When its not functioning the gas expands until it eventually explodes through the ducted quench pipe – a built-in safety mechanism.

Queensland Police released CCTV footage showing the pair (pictured) turning off the chiller unit at the back of the Queensland Radiology Specialists clinic in Springwood, south of Brisbane, at about 1am on February 20

Queensland Police released CCTV footage showing the pair (pictured) turning off the chiller unit at the back of the Queensland Radiology Specialists clinic in Springwood, south of Brisbane, at about 1am on February 20

The mysterious figures both dressed in blue jeans and black shirts (pictured) are now wanted for 'willful damage' as their actions caused an MRI machine to 'explode'

The mysterious figures both dressed in blue jeans and black shirts (pictured) are now wanted for ‘willful damage’ as their actions caused an MRI machine to ‘explode’

Despite the damage done, Mr Bergin said it’s lucky there wasn’t more damage done to the $1.8million facility.

It took eight hours for the machine to fail meaning the clinic had patients inside when the helium burst.

Fortunately the quench pipe did its job and absorbed the explosion but Mr Bergin warned if there had been any faults with the machine’s piping the helium gas could have been released in the unit creating a potentially deadly scenario.

‘The staff have been stoic and all our patients were all very understanding and supporting about the disruption,’ he said.

Police are appealing for the two men depicted in the CCTV video to come forward and for anyone who may recognise them to contract police immediately.

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