A court recently ordered a factory to pay a total of 13,495 yuan (US$1645) to the relatives of a man who was driven to suicide by noise emanating from the factory in Qian'an, Hebei.

It was the first reported case in China where anyone had been driven to suicide by noise, the China News Service said Thursday.

The dead man, Wan Tianlin, a farmer, was the neighbor of a man surnamed He, who set up a beverage factory in his yard.

Wan had often been awakened by the noise of wagons carrying bottles to He's factory and the noise of the production line. Wan had spoken with He, who refused to lower the noise.

The noise became even worse as He expanded his business.

After living with the noise for eight years, Wan developed a neurosis and could no longer work properly.

Wan hanged himself at a small wood near his home Aug. 1, 2001. His family then filed a lawsuit against the factory.

A local court in Qian'an ruled that the factory had infringed upon the rights of Wan and his family by emitting noise louder than permitted.

Living with noise for years could cause neurosis, experts said.

The factory was ordered to pay the compensation and immediately stop the noise.

(Shenzhen Daily December 5, 2003)