China awards lung disease compensation

A court in eastern China has awarded compensation to nearly 200 farmers who developed lung disease while digging a tunnel.

A state-run newspaper the China Daily said it was the first successful lawsuit seeking compensation for lung disease.

The farmers in the eastern province of Zhejiang claimed that engineering companies who hired them took no steps to protect against high levels of silicon dust in the tunnel.

Ten of the farmers have already died of silicosis.

The court awarded sums of up to $47,000 each to the surviving farmers and the families of those who died.

The ruling comes as Chinese legislators are expected to approve a new law aimed at reducing the number of industrial accidents and diseases.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service