| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
BEIJING: Chinese dairy firms whose products contained the toxic chemical melamine have agreed to pay compensation to the families of babies that died or fell ill from tainted milk, state media said on Saturday.
The 22 companies will pay a lump sum to victims of the melamine scandal, which has shocked China since it erupted in September and has left six babies dead while sickening nearly 300,000, the Xinhua news agency reported.
"The enterprises offered to shoulder the compensation liability. By doing so, they hope to earn the understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children," the Dairy Industry Association said, according to Xinhua.
The companies have also agreed to pay the medical bills for any possible after-effects from the poisoning, Xinhua said.
The agency said the association did not provide any figure for the amount of money that the companies will be willing to pay.
Trials began on Friday for six suspects accused of either manufacturing or buying and selling "protein" additives containing melamine or adding the chemical to dairy products, state news agency Xinhua said.
Tian Wenhua, the chairwoman of Sanlu, the company at the heart of the melamine scandal, will go on trial on Wednesday. - AFP/ir/de
|
