1984+Bhopal,+India,+Union+Carbide+accident+(1984)

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Bhopal Disaster (Merchant, Ashna)

**What:** Deadly Gas Leak **When:** December 2-3, 1984  **Where:** Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India **How:** Tank # 610 contained 42 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC), this was above the limit that the safety rules allowed. During the nights of December 2-3, a large amount of water entered tank #610. This caused a runaway reaction (when an increase in temperature, changes conditions, that causes the temperature to increase further). The temperature increased inside the tank to over 400°F. This increase in temperature forced the emergency venting of pressure from the MIC holding tank. This **released a large amount of toxic** gases. This process was sped up because of the iron that was from the corroding pipelines. This caused more damage **After Math:** Many people **died, 3,787 confirmed deaths**, 15,000 estimated. Pollution, which killed many plants and animals. Many disabilities have come about in people and animals. TOTALLY AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY ... ALL THE COMPANY HAD TO DO WAS WARN THE PEOPLE OF THE LEAK.