Article: 2 men to be tried in Italy over asbestos deaths

An Italian judge on Wednesday ordered a Belgian man and a Swiss man to stand trial for alleged negligence leading to hundreds of deaths linked to asbestos plants.

Prosecutors say Stephan Schmidheiny of Switzerland and Jean-Louis de Cartier of Belgium were key shareholders in Eternit, a Swiss construction company. They allege the two were ultimately responsible for the death of some 2,000 workers and residents from asbestos-related diseases.

Most of the cases occurred around an Eternit plant in Casale Monferrato, a town near Turin.

Lawyers and prosecutors said the two are charged with causing an environmental disaster and failing to take proper precautions. Their trial is set to begin Dec. 10 ...

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