Bhopal disaster

On December 3, 1984, the most lethal industrial plant incident took place in Bhopal, India, when over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate leaked into the air of a crowded area. There were at least 3,800 immediate deaths, with the number of injuries well into the thousands. It is treated as a worst-case scenario in emergency management of toxic chemical release. While the Chernobyl disaster caused more permanent contamination, chemical accidents like Bhopal, or chemical terrorism involving deliberate releases from facilities, are more likely events.

Before the accident, Bhopal had very little public health infrastructure; tap water was only available for a few hours per day. Hospitals had no disaster plans in place, and there was no immediate information on the toxic agent. There was little meaningful emergency management.