In 1984, the world’s worst industrial disaster unfolded in Bhopal, a city in central India. A cloud of toxic gases escaped from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant and blanketed dense settlements near the factory. The accident resulted from a runaway reaction when water entered an underground storage tank containing methyl isocyanate (MIC)—a highly toxic and volatile chemical that the company used to make pesticides. With the plant’s safety systems absent or out of order, MIC and other gases leaked, killing thousands of people and maiming tens of thousands more. More than 40 years later, residents of Bhopal are still awaiting justice and rightful compensation as they navigate chronic health issues and a bureaucratic system that has downplayed their problems.
