For 40 years, the world’s most dangerous gas leaked and thousands died in India
40 years ago, the Indian city became the site of the world’s worst industrial disaster.
On the night of December 2, 1984, a toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide India pesticide plant in Bhopal enveloped the Indian city in a deadly smog that killed thousands and poisoned nearly half a million people.
According to government estimates, about 3,500 people died within days of the gas leak and more than 15,000 in previous years. But activists say the death toll is much higher, and victims continue to suffer from the ill effects of poisoning.
In 2010, an Indian court convicted seven former industry executives, handing out small fines and short prison terms. But many victims and campaigners say justice has not been done, given the magnitude of the tragedy.
Union Carbide was an American company that was bought by Dow Chemicals in 1999.
Warning: This story contains information and images that some readers may find disturbing.
Union Carbide factory – a toxic gas leak [Getty Images]
People exposed to poison gas rest on the roadside on December 4, 1984 in Bhopal [Getty Images]
A doctor treats a blind victim shortly after a gas leak [Getty Images]
The gas leak caused an exodus as people rushed to leave Bhopal by train and bus. [Getty Images]
People read about this tragedy in the newspapers as it was in the headlines for many days [Getty Images]
Victims and campaigners stated that many children were born with disabilities after the gas leak [Getty Images]
A survivor lights a candle in 2002 in front of pictures of the thousands who died from the gas leak [AFP]
In 2008, more than 40 children of victims of the Bhopal gas disaster protested outside the prime minister’s residence in the capital Delhi, demanding economic and health reforms. [Getty Images]
Photo of the defunct Union Carbide plant taken in 2009. [Getty Images]
A 2015 photo shows a wall of the Union Carbide factory covered in graffiti asking people to never forget the horrors Bhopal witnessed. [Getty Images]
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