Previous Year Question
Bhopal Gas Tragedy was caused due to the leakage of:
Methyl Isocynate
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred during the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
During the accident, a large quantity of the highly toxic gas Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) escaped from a storage tank and spread over nearby densely populated areas.
MIC is a highly reactive and toxic chemical. It was used at the plant in the process of manufacturing the Carbaryl pesticide.
Exposure to the gas caused acute effects such as severe eye irritation, coughing, breathing difficulty and suffocation. Heavy exposure seriously affected the lungs and other organs and resulted in a large number of deaths.
The Bhopal disaster is regarded as one of the world's most serious Industrial Chemical Disasters. It highlighted the importance of safety systems, emergency preparedness and chemical-disaster management in hazardous industries.