97. The Catastrophe of Bhopal in 1984

Year: 1984

Location: Bhopal, Madya Pradesh, India

Company: Union Carbide India Limited 

Estimated Damage Value: $860 million*

In 1984, Bhopal, India faced one of history’s direst industrial disasters, caused by Union Carbide India Limited. The tragedy claimed an estimated 3,787 lives, possibly up to 16,000, injured over half a million, and caused damages nearing $1 billion.

Due to failed safety systems and equipment neglect at the pesticide plant, toxic gas exposure led to thousands dead by the following morning. Diseases like choking and pulmonary oedema rapidly spread among over 500,000 people, marking this as a monumental tragedy.