On the night of December 4, 1984, 27 tonnes of deadly methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, infiltrating the lungs of the city’s most vulnerable residents leaving only destruction in its trail. Thousands perished overnight, and half a million people were left with life-altering injuries. The memory of the world’s largest industrial accident remains as an indictment of corporate accountability.
“The actions following the explosion shielded the CEO of the Indian subsidiary from criminal liability and ultimately led to a settlement where Union Carbide paid a meagre $470 million – a pittance compared to the profound human suffering. In exchange, criminal charges against the company were dropped, and justice for victims remains elusive to this day. The corporate shell game, culminating in Dow Chemical’s acquisition of Union Carbide, exemplifies how companies leverage mergers and legal structures to evade responsibility for past wrongs.”
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