LITMIR.BIZ

      Bhopal memorial for those killed and disabled. Image author: Luca Frediani

      Date: 2^nd - 3^rd December 1984.

      Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

      Disaster Type: Gas leak.

      Fatalities: 500,000 people exposed and at least 2,259+ deaths.

      The Bhopal gas tragedy, or the ‘Bhopal disaster’ as it is also known, is the world’s worst industrial accident to date that occurred in India on the night of the 2nd to the 3rd of December, 1984. This incident involved a release of methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to this gas as it went through the shanty towns that were situated near the plant. There are variations in the total estimated fatalities but about 2,259 initially died in the disaster according to the official immediate death toll. An affidavit in 2006 by the government stated that there were 558,125 injuries with 38,478 temporary partial injuries and about 3,900 people who were severely and permanently injured as a result of the disaster.

      There were trade unions in 1976 that complained about pollution within this plant and in 1981 a worker was splashed with phosgene and died. In 1981 American experts warned that there was a chance of a “runaway reaction” in the MIC storage tank. Union Carbide was told about these problems as early as 1979 but nothing was done. In 1982 there was another phosgene incident that sent 24 people to hospital with exposure. There were numerous problems at this plant prior to the major gas leak.

      Methylamine will react with phosgene and create methyl isocyanate. This can then react with naphtol to yield carbaryl. In November of 1984 many of the safety systems were not working or were in poor condition. The vent gas scrubbers were out of service as well as the steam boiler which was needed to clean the pipes. One tank contained more MIC than it was supposed to have. On the night of 2nd-3^rd of December water entered this tank and a runaway reaction was created. High temperatures, contaminants and corroding steel pipes accelerated the process. The tank temperature increased to over 200 C (392 F) with increased pressure. As a result of this, over 30 metric tons of the methyl isocyanate (MIC) was released into the atmosphere in about 45-60 minutes.

      Exposure to the gas caused vomiting, coughing, a feeling of suffocation, and severe eye irritation. Some people who were experiencing these symptoms managed to flee away from the plant to the surrounding area. Those that were shorter in height, such as children, took a larger amount of the gas in their systems. In the rush to escape the gas many people were also trampled to death. By the morning hours there were already thousands who were dead. Acute exposure caused reflexogenic circulatory collapse, choking, and pulmonary oedema. Many of the bodies were dumped in the Narmada River near Bhopal. Over 2,000 animals died and about 170,000 people were treated at hospitals. The leaves even fell off of tress because of the gas and there were food as well as fish shortages after the disaster because of fears of contamination.

      The Indian government passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act by December which gave them rights to represent the victims, as Union Carbide was not doing enough with the relief work. After the disaster the health care industry became overloaded with treating people so the state government came in and established a number of extra hospitals to treat the injured. Not many people in the initial stages knew how to treat the resulting injuries, so many people only received eye drops or some cough medicine at first.

      In 1986 the plant was closed but there are still indications of contamination around the area, such as the waters being toxic to fish. In 2012 an effort was made to dispose of the toxic waste around the closed factory.

      16 – Hindenburg Disaster