Asbestos News

Vandals who are suspected to be juveniles recently inflicted damage upon asbestos-containing walls at a home in Australia that was being renovated, reports the Fraser Coast Chronicle.

According to the news source, the vandals used instruments to create holes in the walls of the house in Urangan, likely without knowing that such damage could have released asbestos fibers in the process. The property was reportedly constructed prior to regulations about the use of asbestos, the news provider said.

A police spokesman told the news source that during the incident, which occurred on the afternoon of June 12, nothing was reported stolen from the site.

The spokesman added that authorities would be questioning potential suspects over the coming days.

When asbestos fibers become released into the air, they can be inhaled by local citizens, potentially leading to the development of serious illnesses such as lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the tissues surrounding a majority of the body's inner organs.