Anglo American Faces Lead Poisoning Suit Over Zambian Children

Human rights lawyers have filed a class action suit against Anglo American on behalf of over 100,000 people in the Kabwe District of Zambia who are believed to have been poisoned by lead. The suit alleges that much of this toxic legacy stems from the five decades between 1924 and 1975 when the Kabwe lead mine was at least a partially owned Anglo asset. The claimants - mostly young children - are suffering from alarming levels of lead poisoning which, depending on various factors, causes a range of significant conditions, from psychological, intellectual and behavioural damage to serious and permanent physical damage to their bodily organs, neurological systems and fertility. In extreme cases, serious brain damage and death.

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A mineshaft (file photo).

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