The fascinating truths of Bhopal gas catastrophe incident are buried under these facts: #23. Survivors have not received adequate compensation for their injuries, the polluted factory site has not been cleaned up, and the companies involved have not been held to account. Corrections? At the Union Carbide facility in West Virginia MIC is kept in small concentrations to minimize the risk. The tragedy was a result of the leak of the methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) plant which manufactured pesticides. The same year its sold its interest in the Bhopal plant, which was closed after the disaster in 1984. PMC 1142333. The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial accident. “Clarification on the Bhopal disaster—The facts constitute a far greater indictment of the Indian government than my 23-year-old recollection of my original article, above, suggests. The wide corridors of the hospital were packed with victims, several members of each family requiring urgent treatment. This was no problem, as the plant had been designed for an output of 5,000 tonnes. As of 2008, the government of Madhya Pradesh had paid compensation to the family members of 3,787 victims killed by the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims. At about 1 30 am I was woken by the repeated ringing of the doorbell followed by the entry of several people who were coughing violently. The Indian government and local activists say slack management and poor pipe maintenance caused a backflow of water into a MIC tank, triggering the disaster. industrial accident, Bhopan, India [1984]. know facts about bhopal gas leak that killed nearly 25 000 people New Delhi: The notorious Bhopal Gas Leak tragedy is said to be one of the worst industrial disasters of the world. It happened in Bhopal on December 3, 1984. As they got off they too inhaled the gas and died. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The luckier ones had a bed-for the whole family. No one has been held accountable for disaster, been punished or had to go to trial even though two years before the disaster Union Carbide’s own scientists warned of a “serious potential for sizable releases of toxic materials”. Tens of thousands suffered from blindness and ulcers. The child of survivors told Amnesty International: “I have always wondered what my life would have been like if the Bhopal gas disaster had not happened. I felt even more helpless; having arrived only the day before I had been unable to see inside the hospital or be introduced to the staff, and was unable to speak the language. Twenty-seven tons of it leaked out of a large storage tank after an explosion and drifted over Bhopal neighborhoods near the factory while people were sleeping. As off 2005 many of the survivors had still only received about $500 each. • Broughton E (10 May 2005). At the time, it was called the worst industrial accident in history. Bhopal had no international telephones lines and the story had to be "pigeoned" out on the 3:00pm flight to New Delhi. The irritant gas had caused superficial ulceration, which led to temporary corneal opacity in some cases. The deadly gas escaped from plant, located on the outskirts of the city, and passed over the towns of Jaiprakash and Chhola to strike Bhopal. As of 2000, a modern hospital funded by Union Carbide had not yet opened. In July 2004, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that $357 million in compensation should be distributed directly to victims and no longer held up in courts. Soil and water contamination in the area was blamed for chronic health problems and high instances of birth defects in the area’s inhabitants. Rajiv Gandhi and Mother Teresa came to visit the city, meeting the gas victims in hospital and also in the affected slums around the plant. The Bhopal Gas tragedy is the worst air pollution episode ever witnessed in India. When a train pulled into the station passengers were horrified to see bodies piled on the platform. In the early 21st century more than 400 tons of industrial waste were still present on the site. In 1999, Union Carbide made a profit of $5.6 billion. Without a doctor to interpret for me there was little that I could do on my own. This report recounts my impressions of how the hospital and staff coped with the disaster and describes some of the clinical features of the toxic gas poisoning. One man reported seeing a ball of gas bouncing down a road and watching it envelop his wife and children and kill them instantly. Sodium thiosulphate was administered to a few patients, some of whom showed marked improvement, but by the time a controlled trial had been started it was too late to expect any effect from an immediate antidote. This event got a lot of attention from the international people. The number of deaths claimed by government due to this incident was just 5000 however the actual figure was somewhere around 30'000. Around 3,000 died immediately. Many patients feel "dis-eased," complaining of lethargy, myalgia, aching joints, abdominal symptoms, depression, fluctuating weight, etc. It immediately notified the local government, and also assisted in evacuating a school that was in the pathway of the air plume. The Union Carbide factory is located in Bhopal, a town in Madhya Pradesh. The main component of the gas was methyl isocyanate. The immediate death toll reached 2,259 and some estimates put the death toll at approximately 8,000 within two weeks of the leak. The company had no system to warn residents in case of an emergency even though the plant was built in a densely populated area and a number of safety measures intended to prevent a disaster had not been observed. Entire neighborhoods tried to flee from the gas. I heard the distant sound of a siren, but this being my first night in Bhopal I thought nothing of the incident and went back to sleep. But that is not the only possible explanation of the disaster at Bhopal. After about a week about 15 children a day were still being admitted to the wards, mainly with respiratory complaints -cough, breathlessness, and respiratory infections. They are often referred to a psychiatrist because no tests show abnormal results. It occurred in December of 1984 at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The Bhopal Disaster Facts The Bhopal Disaster Facts The Bhopal disaster was a gas leak that took place in Bhopal, India at the Union Carbide India Pesticide plant overnight on December 2 nd-3rd, 1984. This constitutes 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Her youngest son died at the age of 20 after a lengthy disease. Even after the first full day we were unable to believe the estimate from the BBC World Service of 2000 dead-later even this proved to be conservative.” */*, Eyewitness Account of the Dying After Bhopal Disaster, Moira Sutcliffe wrote: “The dead and dying arrived by the truckload, others came by rickshaw or were carried by relatives. People awoke gasping and choking on their own body fluids. Now, it is owned by Dow Chemical Company. According to Amenity International another 15,000 died years later from cancer, tuberculosis, gynecological diseases and other illnesses. There have also been problems of infertility and birth defects. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The eye problems, which had caused widespread distress in the first few days, had been due to the direct chemical irritation, causing painful watering eyes, local oedema, and photophobia. Around 150,000 required some type of long-term medical care. It was based on 3,350 dead not 16,000 to 30,000 that are estimated to have died. */*, “Of the 119 deaths in the paediatric department from 3-14 December, 106 occurred in the first four days after exposure. The world's worst industrial disaster ever took place in Bhopal, India on December 2, 1984, when lethal methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a Union Carbide pesticide plant blanketed the city, killing as many as 16,000 people (one of the highest estimates) and injuring 500,000 others. Some died in their sleep. On December 3rd, 1984, 8000 people in Bhopal, India, were gassed to death after a catastrophic chemical leak at a Union Carbide pesticide plant. Investigation of the tragedy at Bhopal concludes that a disgruntled employee caused the disaster. As the only outsider I was in a unique position to observe the reaction of the city and its medical resources to the world's worst industrial disaster. The cloud of gas, which some said sparkled in the street lights, drifted towards the train station and slums near the factory. Her husband died of pancreatic cancer. The cause of death in most cases was cardiac arrest associated with respiratory failure. Some half a million survivors suffered respiratory problems, eye irritation or blindness, and other maladies resulting from exposure to the toxic gas; many were awarded compensation of a few hundred dollars. For this reason, the owners of the plant started to cut costs. From 1982-84, Bhopal based journalist Rajkumar Keswani published four articles (Please Save This City, Bhopal Sitting On Top Of A Volcano, If You Don’t Understand This You’ll Be Wiped Out & Bhopal On Brink Of Disaster) warning people about the Dangers. Also Read - … According to Amnesty International: “On the night of 2nd December, 1984, toxic gas had leaked from a pesticide factory run by Union Carbide, India Ltd spreading fumes over a large residential area in Bhopal. The next few weeks were spent trying to cope with the immediate toxic effects of the methyl isocyanate gas and later to predict the medium and long term complications likely to arise. If the Bhopal disaster had occurred in the United States or another developed country there would be a better chance that the victims would be fairly compensated and the perpetrators brought to justice. If you are the copyright owner and would like this content removed from factsanddetails.com, please contact me. 4 (1): 6. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-4-6. Little was done to clean up the site. Before the disaster safety and maintenance crews were cut at the plant because the pesticide was not selling well because of a drought. In 2004 the Indian Supreme Court ordered the state to supply clean drinking water to the residents of Bhopal because of groundwater contamination. People lost control of the bladders and bowels as they fled. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit. These are patients with multiple sensitivities, so called "universal reactors," as described above, who are difficult to treat, and in whom immunological abnormalities have been found.2 Their symptoms are not all in the mind, and in environmental units as seen in the United States many of these patients return to normal health. Facts about the disaster including relief and aid provided, the Browning report and a case study of the incident. Those that had been promised $2,200 received about half that amount after middlemen took their cut. The Bhopal gas tragedy was a gas leak accident in India and is also considered as the world’s worst industrial disaster. Estimates were made from burial grounds, from drivers of the fleet of 16 trucks moving bodies. In the early 2000s 10 to 15 people died from poison-related diseases every month. Here is a list of 10 shocking facts you didn’t know about Bhopal disaster:- 1. There were 500,000 claimants for 3,350 of the people who died. Sevin was actually the brand name used by Union Carbide... 3. It is impossible to describe all details in this website and answer all the questions below. */*, “Many hundreds of victims died within the first few hours of the gas leak, death being caused by respiratory failure resulting from the severe pulmonary oedema. Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) has argued for decades that water entered the tank through an act of sabotage. ter in Bhopal, India, happened because of inadequate maintenance by Union Carbide and poor monitoring by the Indian authorities. The Bhopal Gas Disaster is a story starting in the 1960s and still going on, that is around 50 years. Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred on December 2-3, 1984. Union Carbide claims it was sabotage by a disgruntled employee. */*, “On 8 December a German toxicologist, Dr Daunderer, visited Bhopal and reinforced the views held by the head of the forensic medicine department, Dr Heereshchandra, that the effects of the methyl isocyanate gas were mediated via its breakdown into cyanide and other toxic amines. For some the effort of the journey itself proved too much, and they died soon after arrival. Bhopal disaster, chemical leak in 1984 in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh state, India. In the next two weeks 1337 children were admitted to the department. Facts about Bhopal 1: Bhopal disaster. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. Rows of infants and older children on drips filled the couches, while others lay on the floor or were held by their parents while they received treatment. I was born ten years after the disaster. The Bhopal disaster occurred in 1984, when the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) pesticide plant leaked 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) into the city of Bhopal, exposing 500,000 people to the toxic gas. This has been discussed by the World Health Organisation and its conclusion was that this is a considerable health problem and that we know little about it. In December 1984, UCIL or Union Carbide Indian Limited leaked the deadly gas on the air. Newspaper and television reporters arrived from all over the world within a day or two of the tragedy. …the site of the worst industrial accident in history, when about 45 tons of the dangerous gas methyl isocyanate escaped from an insecticide plant that was owned by the Indian subsidiary of the American firm Union Carbide Corporation. Much of this money never it found way to the victims because was still tied up in the courts and held by the Indian government while politician argued what should done with the money. Many people believe that the Bhopal Disaster was the worst industrial accident in history, pointing to the high death toll at the time of the accident, along with the lingering health and environmental effects. The evasion of corporate responsibility. 10,000 shrouds were made for Hindu victims alone; more than 7,000 were burned on five funeral pyres. Omissions? Another fear is the effect of the gas on early pregnancy. It set up the Bhopal factory in 1980 to produce the powerful pesticide Sevin and “help the country’s agricultural sector increase its productivity and contribute more significantly to meeting the food needs of one of the world’s most heavily populated regions.”. Studies have shown the drinking water is contaminated. There were no injuries. Doctors worked around the clock giving repeated injections; there was no time to resterilise needles between patients. Fortunately, the corneal ulceration was superficial and generally healed without scarring. I had expected the experiences of my elective period to include a range of the usual childhood diseases-polio, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. Prophylactic neomycin eye drops helped to keep the rate of infection low, and atropine drops were also given to prevent the formation of posterior synechiae, though it caused further problems of blurred vision and occasionally induced acute glaucoma. In 1991, an Indian court ordered Union Carbide executives, including th company’s 1984 CEO Warren Anderson, to face criminal charges. At the time of this incident, the mercury levels were raised up to 6 millions. Rajkumar Kewsani (a journalist) wrote 4 articles about Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant and the potential for tragedy between 1982 and 1984 before the incident occurred. The Bhopal disaster was the worst industrial tragedy in history, with an estimated 25,000 people killed as a result. Investigations later established that substandard operating and safety procedures at the understaffed plant had led to the catastrophe. The executives failed to show up and were “proclaimed absconders” (“fugitives of justice”) and filed a claim with the United States for their extradition. Bhopal, India: pesticide plant A portion of the remains of the former Union Carbide pesticide plant, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. One son committed suicide after years of pain and coughing up blood every day. If this were the case there was a specific antidote, sodium thiosulphate. Many suffered pain and misery on a daily basis. Environmental Health. Activists claim that compensation was much less than it should have been. Later on I was able to examine the children as they arrived and suggest treatment. With each subsequent news report we listened with disbelief as further details about the horrifying story began to emerge. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. To this day there is sharp disagreement as to what caused the accident. Union Carbide Corporation (which has now become a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company since 2001) had set... 2. Malfunctioning safety mea-sures, inappropriate location of the plant, and lack of information about the identity and toxicity of the gas worsened the effects of the accident on people and livestock. Facts of the case-The Bhopal disaster is also known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Most of these children admitted to the intensive treatment room died of respiratory failure within the next few days. Closin… But I have seen friends and relatives in my community born with disabilities and deformities.”, Eyewitness Account of the Bhopal Disaster, Moira Sutcliffe, who was a medical student at the time of disaster, wrote: “I flew to Bhopal from Delhi on Sunday 2 December 1984 to begin my elective, which I had arranged to spend in the paediatric department at Hamidia Hospital. From the wooden bed outside her two-room house, Munni bi, the grande dame of Annu Nagar, has a wide lens on the devastation. 30 Terrible Bhopal Gas Tragedy Facts 1. Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is known as the city of lakes for its natural and artificial lakes and it was ruled by the wives of the nawabs for over a hundred years. By Stuart Diamond, Special To the New York Times. There were long queues of people trying to identify relatives in the mortuary. The plant used to produce a pesticide known as Sevin. Meanwhile, the Indian government itself has consistently underestimated the number of people who were killed or injured in the aftermath of the leak, and has also failed to ensure a clean-up of the factory site.”. Everyone was anxious to send back pictures of the carnage in the slum areas, record the death throes of babies in the paediatric wards, and recount the tragic stories of so many left widowed or orphaned by the gas. The Bhopal disaster has raised questions */*, “At first the local news reports knew little more than we could deduce from seeing the numbers of affected people who had flooded into the hospital grounds. At the same time I noticed a sweetish smell, my eyes were mysteriously stinging and watering, and my throat felt raw. On the night of 2-3 December 1984, the plant released approximately 40 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, exposing more than 500,000 people to toxic gases. On the night of December 2 nd / 3 rd, 2017, it will be 33 years since the Bhopal Disaster began taking the lives of innocent citizens in the heavily populated capital city of … The term "total allergy syndrome" is valueless. Tragedy attracted world attention. Estimates of the death toll vary quite a bit in part because many were killed over a period of time from illnesses related to the disaster. However the lessons of acute and chronic effects of exposure to pesticides and their precursors in Bhopal has not changed agricultural practice patterns. The Indian government claims it was negligence and poor management on the part of Union Carbide. One of its first actions was to convince an American judge the the case should be heard in India, where compensation payments are limited and U.S. executives can escape being put on trial. But looking at it in terms of emergency response, our review showed that the company involved was very responsible. 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