(February 18, 2006) The widow of a construction worker who died at the dam site has withdrawn her lawsuit against the U.S. firm after being offered compensation and an apology.

The wife of a Chinese construction worker who died while working on the Three Gorges Dam Project has withdrawn her lawsuit against the U.S.-based Rotec Industries, a manufacturer of conveyor systems that transport and place concrete. Rotec has paid Ke Changli compensation and offered an apology, Sanxia Wanbao (Three Gorges Evening News) reported yesterday, without disclosing the amount paid. Ke sued Rotec for the poor quality of its tower conveyer that she alleges killed her husband. A court hearing was originally scheduled for yesterday in Yichang, Hubei province, but was later canceled. Ke is an employee of the No. 2. Gezhouba Co. On Nov. 19, 1999, her husband, Ke Shanlin, was working in the lift of a Rotec-made tower conveyer at the Three Gorges site. He died when the door of the lift suddenly opened and he fell out. A report submitted by the Hubei Yichang Technical Supervision Bureau attributed his death to the defective product. On Sept. 15, 2000, the worker’s wife sued Rotec, demanding 3.46 million yuan (US$418,116) in compensation. On Jan. 18 of this year, lawyers hired by Rotec submitted their defense and relevant evidence. In the meantime, the representatives of a company that Rotec hired to handle the compensation issue negotiated with Ke. On Jan. 21, Ke withdrew her case with the court’s permission.

China Online, February 18, 2006