Shortly after midnight, water entered a storage tank of methyl isocyanate at the Union Carbide pesticide plant, triggering a runaway reaction. Around 40 tonnes of toxic gas escaped over the densely populated neighbourhoods surrounding the plant.
Safety systems were non-functional or undersized: the flare tower, scrubber, refrigeration unit and alarm procedures all failed to prevent or limit the release. Residents woke to burning eyes and suffocation, and many died in the streets while fleeing.
Official immediate deaths were around 3,800; government affidavits and later studies put total deaths above 15,000, with hundreds of thousands suffering chronic injury. Site contamination and compensation disputes continue decades later, making Bhopal the reference case for industrial accountability and chemical plant siting.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying Bhopal Gas Disaster alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
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