On this day, February 14, 1989, Union Carbide, an American chemical corporation, agreed to pay $470 million to the Indian government as compensation for the devastating 1984 Bhopal disaster. The settlement was intended to address the widespread suffering caused by one of the worst industrial accidents in history.
The disaster occurred on December 2–3, 1984, when a leak of methyl isocyanate gas from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, exposed hundreds of thousands of people to toxic chemicals. The immediate impact killed thousands, with long-term health effects continuing to affect survivors decades later. The catastrophe led to birth defects, respiratory diseases, and severe environmental contamination.
Despite the settlement, many victims and activists argued that the compensation was inadequate given the scale of the disaster, which officially claimed over 15,000 lives, though some estimates suggest the death toll was much higher. The tragedy remains a symbol of corporate negligence and environmental injustice, with ongoing legal and environmental battles still being fought to this day.
Fun fact: Even after the settlement, toxic waste from the Bhopal plant site was never fully cleaned up, continuing to impact local communities decades later.
Trivia question: What was the name of the company that later acquired Union Carbide, inheriting legal and ethical responsibilities for the Bhopal disaster?
The disaster occurred on December 2–3, 1984, when a leak of methyl isocyanate gas from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, exposed hundreds of thousands of people to toxic chemicals. The immediate impact killed thousands, with long-term health effects continuing to affect survivors decades later. The catastrophe led to birth defects, respiratory diseases, and severe environmental contamination.
Despite the settlement, many victims and activists argued that the compensation was inadequate given the scale of the disaster, which officially claimed over 15,000 lives, though some estimates suggest the death toll was much higher. The tragedy remains a symbol of corporate negligence and environmental injustice, with ongoing legal and environmental battles still being fought to this day.
Fun fact: Even after the settlement, toxic waste from the Bhopal plant site was never fully cleaned up, continuing to impact local communities decades later.
Trivia question: What was the name of the company that later acquired Union Carbide, inheriting legal and ethical responsibilities for the Bhopal disaster?
