The number of people who died tragically in the first few days is estimated at 8,000 to 10,000. However, many more will die in the coming decades (the number will rise to 15,000 to 20,000)

24/06/2025

The worst industrial accident of all time (HARD IMAGES)

Today marks the beginning of the tragedy of the 25,000 dead in the city of Bhopal

LiFO team

The number of people who died tragically in the first few days is estimated at 8,000 to 10,000. However, many more will die in the coming decades (the number will rise to 15,000 to 20,000)

On December 3, 1984, more than 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate, a chemical hundreds of times more toxic than cyanide, leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The disaster instantly claimed at least 3,800 lives and caused long-term health effects and premature deaths for countless others.

In the 1970s, the Indian government initiated a policy to attract foreign investment into local industries. One such investor was the Texas-based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), which was invited to construct a plant for producing Sevin, a pesticide widely used across Asia. As part of the agreement, the Indian government would hold a 22% stake in the company’s subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited.

On December 2, 1984, at 11 p.m., when most of Bhopal’s one million residents were asleep, water seeped into tank 610, where methyl isocyanate was stored.

The decision to construct the plant in Bhopal was influenced by the city’s central location and its robust transportation infrastructure. The specific site within the city had been designated for light industrial and commercial use, but not for heavy and hazardous industries.

Initially, the company received approval to produce the pesticide from ingredients imported by the parent company in relatively small quantities. However, due to competitive pressures in the chemical industry, UCIL began manufacturing the raw materials and intermediates itself, a decision that proved to be fraught with risk.

The Union Carbide Corporation factory

The abandonment, 30 years later

In 1984, due to a slump in demand for pesticides, Sevin’s production was scaled back to a quarter of its original capacity. The 1980s were a challenging time for farmers who struggled to invest in pesticides. In July 1984, as profitability waned, the decision was made to sell the plant, and the company relocated its production to another developing country.

Despite the plant being up for sale, operations continued, albeit with noticeable signs of neglect. The high levels of poverty and the need for employment in the area led to a disregard for the glaring safety issues. The government, fully aware of the problems, was apprehensive about the economic impact of losing such a significant employer.

Tragedy struck on December 2, 1984, at 11 p.m., as most of Bhopal’s one million residents slept. Water infiltrated tank 610, where the deadly methyl isocyanate was stored.

The chemical reaction inside the tank grew so intense that the pressure rapidly escalated, eventually forcing the safety valve (allegedly faulty, according to some) to open, releasing the gas into a purification tower that was closed for maintenance.

Union Carbide Corporation argues that an unknown saboteur introduced water into the tank, although this theory remains unproven. Another possibility is that workers, unaware of the potential consequences, poured water into the overheating tank, inadvertently exacerbating the situation.

The abandonment, 30 years later

At around 1 a.m. on December 3, the chemical began to ominously permeate the city’s atmosphere. Within hours, the streets of Bhopal were strewn with the bodies of people, dogs, buffalo, and birds. An estimated 3,800 people died instantly, the majority of whom resided in the impoverished slums adjacent to the plant.

Hospitals were overwhelmed with dying patients, individuals struggling to breathe, and others suffering from severe eye conditions. The tragedy was well underway. Doctors, unfamiliar with the gas and its effects on the human body, were at a loss for effective treatment. Bhopal became a byword for industrial disaster.

The death toll in the initial days reached between 8,000 and 10,000. However, many more would perish in the following decades (the numbers are estimated to reach between 15,000 and 20,000), as the inhaled chemical caused severe health issues.

The Indian government reported that over half a million people were exposed to the gas. Subsequent epidemiological studies indicated increased mortality rates among the exposed population. However, the data is not entirely conclusive, as many victims never returned to the hospitals, leaving their fates unknown.

Union Carbide reached a settlement with the Indian government, mediated by the Supreme Court, in which they accepted moral responsibility. The government’s initial demand was $3.3 billion in damages, but Union Carbide ended up paying only $470 million, an amount considered small given the long-term health consequences and the sheer number of people affected.

Within hours, the streets of Bhopal were filled with the corpses of people, buffalo, dogs and birds.

The Bhopal Museum houses infants that mirror the great tragedy

Following the disaster, India underwent a period of rapid industrialization. While there have been some positive shifts in government policy regarding the safety of major industries, the threat of environmental damage from hasty and poorly managed industrial development persists.

Today, at least 120,000 people continue to suffer from the effects of the toxic gas exposure. Many of them are children, born with deformities and rare diseases due to the gas inhaled by women in 1984. Many are grappling with severe gynecological issues, while cancer remains the leading cause of death among the rest.