FAQs

Bhopal disaster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (July 2009)

The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial disaster that took place at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in the Indian city ofBhopal, Madhya Pradesh. At midnight on 3 December 1984, the plant released an estimated 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, exposing more than 500,000 people to MIC and other chemicals. The first official immediate death toll was 2,259. The government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release.^[1] Others estimate 8,000-10,000 died within 72 hours and 25,000 have since died from gas-related diseases.^[2][3]

The Bhopal disaster is frequently cited as the world's worst industrial disaster.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The International Medical Commission on Bhopal was established in 1993 to respond to the long term health effects of the disaster.

Contents [hide] 1 Summary of background and causes 1.1 Public information 2 Contributing factors 2.1 Plant production process 2.2 Work conditions 2.3 Equipment and safety regulations 3 Previous warnings and accidents 4 The leakage 4.1 Timeline, summary 5 Health effects 5.1 Short term health effects 5.2 Hydrogen cyanide or not? 5.3 Long term health effects 6 Aftermath of the leakage 6.1 Compensation from Union Carbide 6.2 Economic rehabilitation 6.3 Occupational rehabilitation 6.4 Habitation rehabilitation 6.5 Health care 6.6 Environmental rehabilitation 7 Union Carbide's defense 7.1 Investigation into possible sabotage 7.2 Safety and equipment issues 7.3 Response 8 Long-term fallout 8.1 Legal action against Union Carbide 8.1.1 Legal proceedings leading to the settlement 8.1.2 Charges against Warren Anderson and others 9 Changes in corporate identity 9.1 Sale of Union Carbide India Limited 9.2 Acquisition of Union Carbide by Dow Chemical Company 10 Ongoing contamination 10.1 Criticisms of clean-up operations 11 Settlement fund hoax 12 See also 13 Endnotes 14 References 14.1 Books, reports 14.2 Papers 14.3 Reports, no author's name 14.3.1 Union Carbide Corporation 14.3.2 Health research 14.3.3 Contamination of site 14.3.4 Mixed 14.4 Presentations 15 External links 15.1 Websites 15.2 Reportage, films, music 15.3 Photos 15.4 Texts