”It never occurred to anyone that this would happen…I didn’t want to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for the worst industrial accident in history.” – Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson.

The people of Bhopal, the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, were asleep on a cold night on December 2, 1984. Little did they know that they would open their eyes to a deadly disaster. On that night, thousands died in their sleep, thousands on the streets and the ones still living were pumping their lungs with toxins. Indeed, it was the worst industrial accident in history: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

It all began in 1969 when India was going through the Green Revolution. The Government of India welcomed the Union Carbide Company as a major pesticide manufacturer.

The Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) plant was established in Bhopal to produce a pesticide named Sevin. They used Methyl isocyanate (MIC) to manufacture the pesticide.

By the 1980s, the company was not generating much profit as it expected. Many Indian farmers preferred other pesticides over Sevin. The company decided to cut down their expenditure in certain areas. They underinvested in safety management to save money. There was a decrease in expert personnel and a lack of emergency systems.

On December 2, 1984, during routine maintenance, the workers found a leak in the MIC storage system. They brushed it off, thinking of it as a minor leak. Around 12:15 am, the pressure in the MIC tank rocketed up to 55 pounds per square inch. One worker saw the concrete slab on top of the MIC tank crack. He alarmed the other workers, and they all set off to prepare for safety measures.

It was too late until they realised that all safety mechanisms employed in the plant were not functional. To avoid an explosion, they released a large quantity of MIC into the atmosphere.

MIC is a toxic gas which causes severe eye irritation, breathlessness and vomiting, ultimately leading to death.

The people in the slums surrounding the plant woke up to a giant disaster. Nearly 3000 people died instantly, and the toxic gas sowed seeds of future illness in thousands more.

The events of that night haunt its survivors to date as they tell stories of their toxic legacy to future generations.

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