Furniture firm sued for fumes death

A woman exposed to chemical substances and who aborted her unborn child after learning it was handicapped is suing a furniture company for 180,000 yuan ($26,360), Fengtai district court said yesterday.

The woman, identified as Ms. Li by the court, said from March to May last year she had purchased several pieces of furniture from a well-known company in Beijing. The furniture was placed in the living room, study and bedroom, the court said in a press release. The company's name was not revealed.

Five months later, when Li's family moved into the house in October, the pungent smell of the furniture was still heavy in the air.