2,000 Zambian villagers to sue UK mining company in London

2,000 Zambian villagers have been given the permission to sue UK mining giant company Vedanta in a UK court, for damages and injury to their lives and properties.

The villagers who live in Nchanga in the country's Copperbelt province have severally complained about the numerous and ongoing toxic discharges around where they live.

Vedanta Resources has an asset base of almost $40bn spread across the world and its Zambian subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) had appealed against a ruling in May 2016 when a High Court judge decided the claim could proceed.

KCM which employs 16,000 people in Zambia had wanted the claims to be heard in the country. Reuters however reports that the judgement will play a significant role in defining the future liability of multinational companies based in the UK for alleged human rights and environmental abuses outside the country.