Tho Vi hamlet in Thanh Hoa province’s Te Thang commune, which has a population of around 1,700, has on average eight cancer-related fatalities every year.

Besides using asbestos from the deposit in wells, the village also uses it to pave streets, causing the deadly substance to dissolve and run off into household ponds after rains.

Over 80 percent of all sicknesses in the village were cancer-related, the province’s Department of Health said. The poverty in the area means people often cannot afford treatment and die of their illnesses.

A test by the central Department of Science and Technology showed water in Tho Vi to have high levels of asbestos besides other dangerous chemicals like sodium or arsenic.

The village administration has called on concerned agencies to save residents from this threat.

Source: Nguoi Lao Dong – Translated by An Dien