Do you know? As a result of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, about 3,500 people were reported to be killed and about 40,000 people were affected in an area of 100 sq km.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Bhopal gas tragedy took place on December 2, 1984, at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The tragedy took place due to the leaking of methyl-isocyanate (MIC) a highly poisonous gas from the Union Carbide Plant. As a result of the incident, about 3,500 people were reported to be killed and about 40,000 people were affected in an area of 100 sq km.
According to various reports, the incident occurred when water entered into the storage tanks of MIC causing an increase in temperature because of which liquid MIC turned into a gas. Earlier, many complaints were made by the workers about the frequent leakage of other toxic substances in the plant, but no steps were taken to install safety mechanisms.
It is thus now accepted worldwide that the Bhopal Gas Tragedy was caused due to the ignorance of safety measures in the Union Carbide Plant to cut costs. Most of the people who were exposed to the lethal gas belonged to poor working-class families. While thousands of people died, many suffered from respiratory diseases, eye problems, and many other disorders.
After the accident, the Indian Council of Medical Research revealed that the exposure to the gas caused damage to the brain, kidney, lungs, and muscles. It also affected the reproductive ability of men and women.
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