Concern Over Cancer Cases

Environmental pollution is causing increasing numbers of cancer cases in cities along the Syrian coast, according to a May 17 report in the pro-government Cham Press website.



The report said the industrialisation of coastal areas has damaged the environment and affected the health of residents.



According to the report, approximately 20 per cent of public drinking wells and 30 per cent of private wells in the city of Tartus are polluted. The pollution is largely caused by sewage and waste from factories and agriculture, according to the report.



Cham press said the incidence of cancer cases was on the rise in Tartus, where 171 people had been diagnosed. In Banias, home to several oil and gas plants, 130 cases had been diagnosed.