BHOPAL GAS

TRAGEDY

Jyoti Choudhary
‘WHAT IS BHOPAL
GAS TRAGEDY?’

 Bhopal gas tragedy occurred on 2nd of December 1984 at

the union carbide India limited, pesticide plant in Bhopal.

 More than 40 tones of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas and

other deadly gases turned Bhopal into a Gas chamber.

 Over 500,000 people were exposed to the gas, Out of

which 20,000 people died out of severe injury.
THE ACCIDENT

 Water entered tank E610 containing 42 tonnes of MIC.

 The resulting exothermic reaction increased the

temperature inside the tank to over 200 degree and
raised the pressure.

 About 40 tones of Methyl isocyanate gas escaped from

the tank to the atmosphere of Bhopal in 45 to 60
minutes.
FACTORS WHICH LEAD TO GAS
LEAK
 Storing MIC in large tanks and filling beyond
recommended levels.

 Poor maintenance and failure of several safety

system.

 Safety system was switched off to save money-

including the MIC tank refrigeration system which
could have mitigated the severity of disaster.
Aftermath Of The
Leakage
 Medical staff were unprepared for the thousands of
causalities.

 Doctors and hospitals were not informed of proper treatment

methods for MIC gas inhalation.

 They were told to give cough medicine and eye drops to the
patients.
Blame game
Lapses: By Union Carbide
 Improper design of chimneys.

 Improper design and maintenance of safety equipment

 Not following the safety regulations as that followed by

UCC plants in USA.

 Inadequate community planning- allowing a large

population to live near a hazardous manufacturing plant.
Lapses: By Government

 Warren Anderson was chairman and CEO of the union

carbide corporation in 1984.

 Four days after the incidence Warren Anderson arrived in

Bhopal and he was arrested.

 After few hours of arresting, Anderson posted bail and

quickly left the country.
 According to ‘THE HINDU’ newspaper Every day,
47 factory workers are injured and three die in
accidents.

 Data from the labour and employment ministry

reveal that in (2014-2016) 3,562 workers lost their
life in factories across the country
THANK YOU