26 died of cadmium poisoning in central China village: Report

At least 26 people have died from cadmium poisoning near a disused factory in a village in central China since 2009, a recent report says.

According to the China Youth Daily, hundreds more have also become ill as a result of being exposed to the metal.

The report on Wednesday said that soil samples from Hunan Province’s Shuangqiao show cadmium levels 300 times higher than authorized levels.

High levels of cadmium were also found in 500 of the 3,000 villagers tested by authorities.

The report also shows that of the 26 people who died, eight were under the age of 60. About 20 of the victims died of cancer, while a large number of children in the village were born with deformities.

The village is home to a disused chemical plant that operated until 2009.

The Chinese paper says that a huge industrial waste pile currently remains at the site, giving off “an odor that will not go away.”

The poisoning is considered one of the country’s “10 biggest pollution incidents.”

According to the US Department of Labor, Cadmium is highly toxic and exposure to it “is known to cause cancer.”

This year, China’s environment ministry for the first time, acknowledged the existence of “cancer villages.”