Know facts about Bhopal Gas Leak that killed nearly 25,000 people

New Delhi: The notorious Bhopal Gas Leak tragedy is said to be one of the worst industrial disasters of the world.This tragic incident took place in the Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal, when the deadly methyl iso-cyanate (MIC) leaked in the dead of night due to a faulty valve and affected thousands of people across the city.Thousands of people ran out of Bhopal to escape death, and those that couldn't, in the immediate vicinity of the factory, either died, or were doomed to live the life of invalids.It claimed around 25,000 lives out of which more than 3,500 people died immediately after the incident.Even after three decades of this disaster, the survivors suffer from breathing trouble and other ailments. The Bhopal Gas Pidit Sangathan ( Bhopal Gas Victims Organisation) has been fighting a legal battle for over 30 years.Lets have a look at what happened:The incident took place on the night of 2-3rd December, 1984, when around 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate was released from the plant accidently, exposing more than 6,00,000 people to the toxic gases.This chemical incident was caused by the entry of water into the tank that contained methyl isocyanate, which resulted in a chemical reaction, which resulted in increased temperature inside the tank.The pressure within in the tank was more than the tank was built to withstand, as a result of which a huge amount of toxic gases were leaked into the environment. At around 1a.m in the morning people woke up with suffocation and burning sensation in their lungs. A huge panic was created and people were rushing out which even lead to stampedes.There was no warning given to general public during this time, and even the emergency alarms in the factory started at around 2:30a.m.A large number of people lost their lives in this chemical disaster which shook the city of Bhopal. The worst sufferers of this accident were the people from the slum areas near Union Carbide India Ltd. (UCIL) plant. Thousands of people lost their lives the very moment when the incident took place. Later the death toll rose to around 25,000, where as upto 5,00,000 people were injured, many of which were permanent injuries.But the suffering still continues even after 30 years of this disaster. People out there are still struggling with the after effects of this tragedy. The children are born with birth effects, many are suffering from physical and mental disability.Several civil and criminal cases are pending against Union Carbide Corporation and its then CEO Warren Anderson in the District Court of Bhopal, but no justice has been given to the victims who either succumbed to their injuries or are still fighting for survival.