The Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred on December 3rd, 1984 in Bhopal, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate gas from a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide resulted in over 2,000 immediate deaths and 300,000 injuries. The gas leak was caused when water accidentally mixed with methyl isocyanate in a storage tank, initiating a chemical reaction that built pressure until the tank's safety valve burst. Both Union Carbide and the Indian government failed to implement proper safety measures and protocols at the plant, prioritizing profits over human life. The disaster severely impacted the local population's health, caused long-term medical issues, and highlighted the lack of ethical practices by those involved.

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy
December 3rd 1984

2. CONTENT :
• Introduction of case .
• Root cause of disaster .
• Possibilities of avoiding disaster .
• Relevance of ethics to the disaster .
• Impact of disaster on society .
• Relation of ethics & values in this case .

3. Introduction of case :
• Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the 3rd of December, 1984, In the city of
Bhopal, Central India, a poisonous vapour burst from the tall stacks of
the Union Carbide pesticide plant.
• This vapour was a highly toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate.
• 2,000 died immediately
• 300,000 were injured
• 7,000 animals were injured, of which about one thousand were killed.
• On December 4 1984 ,Warren Andersen along with nine people arrested
,freed on bail upon a promise to return.
• In February 1989, UCC made a compensation of USD 470 million to
Indian government.

4. Root cause of disaster
• A tank containing methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked.
• The scientific reason for the accident was that water entered the tank where
about 40 cubic meters of MIC was stored. When water and MIC mixed, an
exothermic chemical reaction started, producing a lot of heat.
• As a result, the safety valve of the tank burst because of the increase in
pressure.
• Negligence of the Government over the continuous misshaping in UCC.
• The Madhya Pradesh State government had not mandated any safety
standards.
• The Bhopal plant experienced six accidents between 1981 and 1984, at least
three of which involved MIC or phosgene.

6. Possibilities of avoiding disaster
• Eliminate or reduce the production of Hazardous chemicals.
• Hazardous chemicals produced should not be stored and should be
consumed in the course of the reaction.
• The inventory of Hazardous chemicals if inevitable should be of many
small containers and not of one large container.
• Setup of chemical production factory away from the residential area.
• Install all the safety measures like scrubbers tank, flammable tower etc.
• Highly trained workers to handle the situation efficiently.

7. Relevance of ethics to the disaster
• Not ethically right on the part of the management of UCC and to the
Indian government.

8. Impact of disaster on society
• Respiratory Disorders – Irritation to the lungs, causing coughing and/or
shortness of breathing. Higher exposure caused build up of fluids
(pulmonary oedema). Caused Asthma.
• Cancer Hazard – Caused mutation (genetic changes). It caused cancer.
• Reproductive Hazard – Association between exposure to Methyl
Isocyanate and miscarriages. It may damage the growing foetus . May
also affect fertility in men and women.
• Traces of many toxins were found in the Brest Milk of mothers and were
in turn transmitted to the recipient babies.

10. Relation of ethics & values in this case
• In this case the ethics and values of both the Indian government and
the management of UCC overridden by the value of money .
• Life of 12,000 people can’t be compensated with 470 million dollar.

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