The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was an industrial accident that occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Over 500,000 individuals were exposed to deadly methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, resulting in the immediate death of approximately 3,800 people. Regarded as one of the most severe industrial disasters in history, the incident has left thousands more grappling with enduring health issues. The catastrophic event stands as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences of industrial negligence, casting a long shadow over the lives of those affected by its far-reaching and tragic aftermath.
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The world's "major industrial accidents" of the 20th century:
A 2020 report released by the UN labour agency, the International Labour Organization (ILO), said in 1984, at least 30 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, which was released from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the Madhya Pradesh capital, affected more than 600,000 workers and nearby inhabitants.
"The government figures estimate that there have been 15,000 deaths as a result of the disaster over the years. Toxic material remains, and thousands of survivors and their descendants have suffered from respiratory diseases and damage to internal organs and immune systems," it said.
The report titled "Safety and Health at the Heart of the Future of Work: Building on 100 Years of Experience" said the Bhopal disaster was among the world's "major industrial accidents after 1919."
Survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy are more vulnerable to diseases:
The diagnosis of diabetes, coronary arterial disease, neuropathies, and arthritis was more than three times higher in the people exposed to the gas leak during the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy than in those without a history of exposure to the gas, an NGO claimed on Friday, a day before the 39th anniversary of the disaster.
“Data from our clinic since January 1, 2022 shows that of the 6,254 persons who received care, the diagnosis of diabetes, coronary arterial disease, neuropathies, and arthritis was more than three times more common in gas-exposed individuals compared to those without a history of gas exposure,” said Nitesh Dubey, clinic registration assistant of the Sambhavna Trust, which works for gas tragedy victims.
“Diagnosis of hypertension, acid peptic disease, asthma, cervical spondylosis, and anxiety disorder is twice as common in survivors,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
