Singapore  - Singapore courts have prosecuted 1,052 employers in the first 11 months of this year for providing sub-standard accommodation to their foreign workers, news reports said Wednesday.

The city-state's Manpower Ministry found hundreds of dormitories that failed to meet health and safety standards, The Straits Times and Channel News Asia reported.

Checks by the ministry found that some sites were overcrowded and located in areas with a high prevalence of dengue fever and the viral disease chikungunya, while others were illegally converted dormitories at factories.

The highest fine of 20,000 Singapore dollars (13,320 dollars) was imposed on an employer for housing his workers in a collection centre for rubbish bins.

The reports said about 1,370 foreign workers had since been relocated to government-approved accommodation.

Singapore depends on hundreds of thousands of foreign Asian workers for construction projects, house-cleaning and service industries. (dpa)