25th Anniversary of Bhopal
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
It’s 25 years since toxic gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, poisoning local citizens. Over 15,000 people died as a result of leak and hundreds of thousands have suffered health impacts including blindness, respiratory illness and birth defects. Local campaigners say that the disused plant continues to leak contaminated waste into local water sources.
Bhopal acts as a telling reminder of the devestating impacts of corporate wrongdoing and its long lasting effects. Responsiblity for the accident and the clean up has been highly disputed. Union Carbide’s current owners, Dow Chemicals claim the plant is now owned by the Indian government and therefore it should organise the clean up. Meanwhile, in 2009, the Indian government issued a warrant for the arrest of Warren Anderson, head of Union Carbide at the time of the disaster.
The Guardian published has published a set of powerful photographs of the disaster 25 years on.