India: Forty years on, Bhopal disaster still plagues local residents
Forty years after India's Bhopal disaster, local residents are still suffering from its aftermath. The gas explosion at a chemical plant caused toxic waste to contaminate the water in nearby areas, causing locals to develop numerous health issues. Today, second and third-generation victims of the gas leak are grappling with its effects. Activists are battling to secure justice for the victims. FRANCE 24's Khansa Juned and Martin Bathla report.
This year marks four decades since one of the world's worst industrial disasters: the Bhopal gas tragedy. On the night of December 2, 1984, a leak of the highly poisonous gas methyl isocyanate (MIC) occurred at the Union Carbide factory in the central Indian city of Bhopal, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of people were killed and around 500,000 people within an eight-kilometre radius were exposed.
The toxic waste dumped on the factory premises contaminated the groundwater in nearby areas. NGOS say heavy metals like nickel as well as pesticides, which can cause cancer, were identified in the drinking water. Mothers who were exposed to the toxic gas often gave birth to disabled children.
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