Union Carbide established a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India in 1934. In 1984, a deadly gas leak at the plant exposed hundreds of thousands of people to toxic chemicals, killing over 3,800 people initially and harming many thousands more. The incident was one of the world's worst industrial disasters. Union Carbide executives responded by sending aid and experts to Bhopal, but the company was later fined and faced legal issues over the disaster, which continues to impact the region to this day.

1. BY: DALAL AL DAJANI
S00026399
UNION CARBIDE CRISIS: DISASTER
IN BHOPAL, INDIA

2. THE HISTORY OF UNION CARBIDE
• Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) is a chemical
company established in 1934.
• UCIL was 51% owned by Union Carbide Corporation
(UCC) in the USA and 49% by Indian investors including
the Government of India.
• UCIL expanded to employ 9,000 people working at 14
plants in five divisions.

3. THE HISTORY OF UNION CARBIDE
• India was one of three dozen countries where the
company had affiliates and business interests.
• UCIL produced batteries, carbon products, welding
equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides,
and marine products.

4. The Crisis
• In the early hours of Monday, December 3rd of 1984, a deadly
toxic cloud of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas encircled the
hundreds of shanties and huts near a pesticide plant in
Bhopal.
• After the deadly toxic cloud floated away, locals who were
sleeping woke up coughing, choking, and rubbing their eyes
painfully.
• By the time the gas in the air lessened, many locals were
found dead or injured.
• People died because of preliminary lung problems and
suffocation.

5. The Crisis
• In 1991, the Indian government panel charged UCIL with more than
3,800 deaths and nearly 11,000 with disabilities.
• The reason behind the gas formation was not known at the time.
• An angry plant employee, apparently set on spoiling a batch of MIC
by adding water to a storage tank. The water caused a reaction that
built up heat and pressure in the tank.
• This led to transforming the chemical compound into a lethal gas
that spread in the air.

6. THE MEDIA
• Within 24 hours, the first press release came to the US
from India. This led to:
- 500 calls a day for a week.
- BBC radio news reports were taped and communicated to
the public.
- On December 3rd at 1:00 pm (the same day of the crisis), a
press conference was held at the Danbury Hilton Hotel in
Washington DC.
(Media was not as strong as it is today).

7. THE MEDIA
• “PAGE ONE” news for the following months I.e. The NY
Times, Wall Street Journal and Connecticut's
Hartford Courant, the USA’s oldest newspaper: a dozen
different by-lines on its Bhopal stories.
• Even in the 1990’s, media still discussed the crisis of
Bhopal which occurred in 1984.

8. THE DAMAGE
• In November 1994, Union Carbide Company in USA sold its
interests in Union Carbide India Limited to McLeod Russel
Ltd. of Calcutta.
- UCIL was then renamed Eveready Industries India Ltd.
- (Trying to run away from the problem).
• On February 1989, the government, UCC and UCIL paid
$470 million to the Supreme Court of India as directed.
• Continuous criticisms of the cleanup action to be taken by
Union Carbide.
(Pollution in soil, fresh water and agricultural areas).

9. THE DAMAGE
• The chairman and CEO of Union Carbide USA, William
Anderson, and the Bhopal factory manager, J.Mukund
and many managers left the company after the plant
shut.
- They were sentenced to 2 years in prison and fined
Rs.1 lakh (US$2,124).
- Shortly after the verdict, they were released on bail.
• People are still suffering because of what happened 30
years ago.

10. A LOOK AT SOME VICTIMS OF
BHOPAL’S DISASTER

11. HOW THEY HANDLED THE SITUATION
• Union Carbide executives in the US took action
immediately by contacting UC India Limited in Bhopal on
the same day of the crisis. The CEO of Union Carbide in
the USA and his technical team immediately traveled to
India.
• Hours after the incident, company executives in
Connecticut relied on telephone connections with India.

12. HOW THEY HANDLED THE SITUATION
• On the same day of the crisis, a press conference was
held in the US where they assured the public that
technical and medical experts are to be sent to help the
locals in India.
• Immediately provided $2 million in aid of the Prime
Minister’s relief fund.
• Funded the attendance of Indian medical experts at
special meetings for research in the treatment of victims.

13. PLANNING IN CRISIS
1. Define the risk
• A release of a toxic and deadly gas in the atmosphere.
• Union Carbide Company will be sued, fined and/or deal with
imprisonment.
• Companies will lose trust and not affiliate with UCC/UCCIL.
2. Define the actions that mitigate the risk
• They closed down the plant in Virginia.
• UCC took action as soon as possible by sending medical and
technical experts to the field.
3. Identify the cause of the risk
• Excessive water added to the chemical tank led to the
creation of the gas Methyl Isocyanate (MIC).

14. PLANNING IN A CRISIS
4. Demonstrate responsible management action
• Speaking to the public and gave them important and precise
information.
• Taking action by providing care for the victims.
• Paid their fines as a result of the disaster.
5. Create consistent message
• The retired Vice President Jackson B. Browning, responsible for
Health, Safety and Environmental Programs was the spokesperson
for Union Carbide Corporation.

15. ENGAGING THE MEDIA
1. Set up media headquarters
• UCC should have placed professional observers from the US
in India.
2. Establish media rules
• Media tries to create a bigger problem, in order to stop the
media, all the information should be given to them.
3. Media live for the “box score”
• Repairs should be clearly visible to the public.
4. Don’t speculate
• UCC should not claim the cure of the victims during their
treatment.

16. ENGAGING THE MEDIA
5. Feed the beast
• Any new or updated information should go to the media.
6. Speed triumphs
• Deny fake accusation and be ready to provide evidence (financial
statements and documents).
7. Cable rules
• Obtaining a friendly relationship with the media.

17. REFERENCES
Jackson Browning Report - Union Carbide Corp. "Union
Carbide: Disaster At Bhopal." UNION CARBIDE: DISASTER AT
BHOPAL (n.d.): n. pag. Indiaenvironmentportal.org. 1993. Web. 07
Dec. 2014.
"Union Carbide India Limited." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, 29 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2014.
"The Children of Bhopal Bear Scars of Gas Leak."
BBC News. N.p., 2 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.