Silent Death: The worst industrial disaster in history

Shortly after midnight on Dec. 3, 1984 — 40 years ago today — about 45 tons of highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked out of a Union Carbide-owned pesticide factory in Bhopal, India.

Residents of Bhopal had been delighted when Union Carbide’s Indian subsidiary opened a pesticide plant in the mid-1970s. The neighborhoods around the plant were poor, so the well-paying jobs the plant brought to the area were welcome. And the plant’s primary product, Sevin, was, at the time, used on crops across the country and in parts of Asia.

Late At Night: A Cloud of Poisonous Gas

Residents of Bhopal had been delighted when Union Carbide’s Indian subsidiary opened a pesticide plant in the mid-1970s. The neighborhoods around the plant were poor, so the well-paying jobs the plant brought to the area were welcome. And the plant’s primary product, Sevin, was, at the time, used on crops across the country and in parts of Asia.

But the enormous quantities of methyl isocyanate stored at the plant — the raw material for Sevin — was considered one of the most dangerous substances ever used in the chemical industry. MIC had to be stored at the low temperature of 4.5 degrees Celsius and had to be prevented from mixing with water. That would start a chemical reaction that would turn MIC into a deadly gas.

The plant’s owners also cut corners. Personnel and safety measures were cut. There wasn’t even a plan in place to evacuate the nearby slums in case of an accident.

In the wee hours of Dec. 3, 1984, water in a side pipe entered the MIC tank, creating a runaway reaction. Within the first hour of the accident, 30 tons of MIC were released into the atmosphere. exposing more than a half-million people to the poison gas.

Plumes of toxic smoke poured into the neighborhoods. Thousands of residents awoke to burning eyes and difficulty breathing. About 3,000 died instantly. Some might have been saved had they been warned to remain indoors and seal their doors and windows. Instead, as the deadly gas cloud expanded, residents panicked and ran through the streets.

The MIC gas, heavier than air, hung close to the ground. Children and shorter residents inhaled more MIC gas than taller residents.

Plant workers put off searching for a possible leak until after their tea break was over. An alarm wasn’t sounded until nearly an hour later — and even then, the alarm was turned off after just a few moments.

From the Bhopal Medical Appeal, more than 3,000 people in Bhopal died almost immediately after the gas leak. Another 15,000 died over the following years.

The Aftermath of The Leak

By the next morning, thousands were dead. Streets were filled with the dead. Hospitals were in chaos with more than 170,000 seeking treatment and an estimated 70% of doctors were underqualified to handle such an emergency.

Union Carbide’s CEO and a team of technicians flew to Bhopal but were placed under house arrested and urged by the Indian government to leave the country.

Union Carbide argued that water entered the MIC tank through an act of sabotage by a disgruntled employee. But the company never identified the employee or offered any evidence that was the case.

The Indian government demanded payment of $3 million to compensate victims and to help pay for cleanup. In 1989, the Indian Supreme Court ordered Union Carbide to pay $470 million in damages.

In 1991, local authorities charged the former Union Carbide CEO with manslaughter and had him declared a fugitive from justice. The U.S. declined to extradite him to India. He died in 2014.

In 2010, seven employees of the plant were convicted of causing death by negligence and sentenced to two years in prison. But all were released on bail a short time later.

Forty years later, very little cleanup of the area has been done. Residents still suffer from health issues caused by the leak.

The Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, a year or so after the leak. Thousands of tons of toxic waste are said to still be present on the site. Sourced from the Bhopal Medical Appeal

The Deadliest Industrial Accident of All Time

But, in fact, estimates of the number of people killed or injured by the gas leak in Bhopal differ wildly depending on whose information you look at. A clinic set up to treat residents of Bhopal has estimated 8,000 died in the first weeks after the leak and another 8,000 have died since then.

Insider Monkey reports 75% of the residents of Bhopal are still unable to work due to injuries like chemical eye burns and respiratory problems, cancer and kidney disease caused by toxic chemicals that have leaked into groundwater. Women victims have suffered from high rates of miscarriages and birth defects.

That much is undisputed. The list and numbers shown here were compiled and listed by Insider Monkey, an investment analysis and advice website.