BP Faces Lawsuit Over 500 Deaths in Kenyan Exploration Area

A group of almost 300 petitioners filed a class-action suit against BP Plc and Kenyan authorities seeking compensation for environmental damage caused by disposal of toxic waste at oil-exploration sites in the northern fields of the East Africa nation.

They allege the oil major disposed hazardous materials at drilling wells in northern Kenya, leading to the deaths of about 500 people and a spike in cancer cases, according to the petition filed at a court in Kenya. Thousands of livestock also died after drinking contaminated water, it stated