Twenty years ago, tons of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide factory owned by Union Carbide in Bhopal, India. It was one of the worst industrial accidents in history, with a death toll of more than 15,000. Some 3,500 died immediately, with terminal illnesses afflicting thousands more.
Today, many survivors say they have yet to receive compensation -- a claim backed by Amnesty International. Critics of the cleanup effort at the site also say it remains a source of lethal toxins. Some estimates of those afflicted with illnesses since the 1984 disaster place the number above 500,000 people. Hear NPR's Miranda Kennedy.
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