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Bhopal disaster: A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaks 45 tons of methyl isocyanate and other toxic compounds in Bhopal,

Bhopal disaster: A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaks 45 tons of methyl isocyanate and other toxic compounds in Bhopal, India, officially killing 2,259. Other estimates are as high as 16,000 (including later deaths) and over half a million injured.

On 3 December 1984, over 500,000 people in the vicinity of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, in what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster. A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused approximately 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries. Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259. Others estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks of the incident occurring, and another 8,000 or more died from gas-related diseases.

Historical Significance

On 3 December 1984, over 500,000 people in the vicinity of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, in what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster.

Events Before

  1. 'New Age' music radio program "Hearts of Space," hosted by Stephen Hill, makes its national syndication debut on U.S. Na

    'New Age' music radio program "Hearts of Space," hosted by Stephen Hill, makes its national syndication debut on U.S. National Public Radio

  2. IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon victories, 70 years after they were stripped f

    IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon victories, 70 years after they were stripped from him for accepting $25 to play semi-pro baseball

  3. Film genius Jerry Lewis (56) marries 2nd wife dancer SanDee Pitnick

    Film genius Jerry Lewis (56) marries 2nd wife dancer SanDee Pitnick

  4. Final TV episode of "M*A*S*H" airs on CBS, a two-hour special directed by series star Alan Alda titled "Goodbye, Farewel

    Final TV episode of "M*A*S*H" airs on CBS, a two-hour special directed by series star Alan Alda titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"; a record 125 million viewers watch in the US

  5. Actor Harrison Ford marries screenwriter Melissa Mathison (divorced 2004)

    Francis Ford Coppola ( KOH-pə-lə; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. One of the leading figures of the New Hollywood, Coppola is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential...

Events After

  1. 'Nordu.net' is registered as the world's first domain name on the internet

    This is a list of the oldest extant registered generic top-level domains used in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Until 1986, Domain Registration was limited to organizations with access to…

  2. Israel's government confirms the resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews

    Israel's government confirms the resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews

  3. Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (22) weds Lisa Andrews

    Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (22) weds Lisa Andrews

  4. Charity single "We Are the World" recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, B

    Charity single "We Are the World" recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)

  5. South African President P. W. Botha offers to free Nelson Mandela if he denounces violence

    Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and statesman who was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 3, 1984?
On 3 December 1984, over 500,000 people in the vicinity of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, in what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster. A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused approximately 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries. Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259.
Why is Bhopal disaster: A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaks 45 tons of methyl isoc... significant?
On 3 December 1984, over 500,000 people in the vicinity of the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, in what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster.

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