Turner and Newall dumped asbestos in Kaimur, India, investigation finds
ITV investigation says British firm Turner and Newall contaminated the Indian town of Kaimur with asbestos, causing deadly diseases and leaving a £100m cleanup.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An investigation has found that a British company, Turner and Newall, dumped vast quantities of asbestos waste in the Indian town of Kaimur, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, for decades despite knowing the dangers. More than a million tonnes of soil, dirt and dust in the town are now contaminated with the cancer-causing material.
The company opened India's first asbestos factory in Kaimur in the 1930s, when asbestos was widely used for its strength and fireproof qualities. The factory made asbestos cement roofs. But investigators say workers were given virtually no protection, and waste was left in piles around the town, under a playground, and even beneath an entire suburb.
Residents have suffered for generations. Doctors working in the area say thousands have developed asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer and fibrosis. One 95-year-old former factory worker, Abdul Wahid, died shortly after being examined; doctors said less than five percent of his lungs were functioning. Another man, Somesh, who was exposed as a child at school, has been told he has six months to live. His family still lives among the dust.
A doctor who regularly visits Kaimur, Dr Murali, diagnosed 1,200 new cases of asbestos-related disease on a single visit in September 2025. He said he could have seen more but ran out of time. He does not wear a mask when examining patients because it would be impractical for local people who lack access to protective equipment or a full understanding of the risks.
The company went bankrupt years ago, leaving a small compensation fund for workers and their families, but nothing for the cleanup. The estimated cost of removing or safely covering the asbestos is around £100 million. Indian law says the polluter must pay, but the company no longer exists, and no one else has accepted responsibility.
Lawyers and campaigners say the case highlights a gap in UK law. Krishnendu, a British lawyer working with victims, said: "A life in India should be valued the same as a life in the UK. There's very little in current British law that would stop a company from doing the same again." He noted that the first asbestos-related death in Britain, of Nellie Kershaw in Rochdale, was nearly a century ago.
The UK government has responded to the investigation, describing the claims as "truly shocking". It says it is considering the findings of a review into responsible business conduct, but has made no guarantees about new laws. The Indian government was approached for comment but did not respond.
Meanwhile, the people of Kaimur continue to breathe in the dust. The question remains whether anyone will ever clean up the waste, or whether generation after generation will keep falling ill.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| More than a million tonnes of soil in Kaimur have been contaminated with asbestos from the Turner and Newall factory. | |
| One in six residents of Kaimur has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. | |
| The estimated clean-up cost is approximately £100 million. | |
| The UK government described the claims as truly shocking and is considering a review into responsible business conduct. | |
| Turner and Newall chose Kaimur as the location for the first asbestos factory in India in the 1930s. | |
| Turner and Newall knew about the dangers of asbestos but offered workers no protection. | |
| Turner and Newall went bankrupt and left nothing for the cleanup. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This is the original, longer investigation report. It leads with the human cost, showing the toxic town, visiting a dying worker, and hearing from the doctor who says all victims will suffer before they die. The channel also includes the studio follow-up with the reporter on the UK government response and the lack of legal protection for people abroad.
- “This is the town limit and ahead of us is Kaimur. A town that's so toxic we've been told that for our own safety while we're here we should wear these.”
- “Despite knowing the dangers they dumped asbestos waste throughout the town for decades.”
- “There's very little in current British law that would stop a company from doing the same again.”
The News at Ten packages the same investigation into a tighter bulletin story, foregrounding the scale of the public health crisis (one in six residents diagnosed) and the failure of both companies and governments to act. The studio interview with reporter Sam Holder focuses on legal responsibility and the possibility of the same thing happening again, without the detailed personal vignettes seen in the earlier bulletin.
- “one in six of the population of kaimo has been diagnosed with diseases linked to asbestos”
- “it's a scandal isn't it? And this is what really saddens me... a life in India should be valued the same as a life in the uk”
- “unless someone puts up the money it's not going to have any impact on the people in kimel”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.