Hundreds of people marched to the defunct Union Carbide factory on Sunday (December 3rd) to mark the 39th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy that claimed thousands of lives.

Demonstrators, mostly victims, marched holding placards with anti-US and anti-Dow Chemicals messages, seeking justice for survivors. The protesters took out a two kilometre march from Nadra bus stand to the Union Carbide factory and hit the mannequin of Jim Fitterling, the chief executive officer of Dow Chemicals, which had taken over Union Carbide.

Activists claim many second and third-generation children are born with congenital defects. There are tens of thousands of survivors who are suffering from cancer, blindness, respiratory diseases, and neurological disorders as a result of inhaling the toxic gas.

Hundreds of people marched to the defunct Union Carbide factory on Sunday to mark the 39th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy that claimed thousands of lives. Demonstrators, mostly victims, marched holding placards with anti-US and anti-Dow Chemicals messages, seeking justice for survivors. The protesters took out a two-km march from Nadra bus stand to the Union Carbide factory and hit the mannequin of Jim Fitterling, the chief executive officer of Dow Chemicals, which had taken over Union Carbide.

On Dec 2-3 1984, the people of Bhopal woke up in the middle of the night, dazed by a sudden burning sensation in their lungs. They didn’t realize that this was the result of the world’s worst industrial cataclysm which had taken place at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This tragedy claimed more than 25,000 lives.

Activists claim many second and third-generation children are born with congenital defects. There are tens of thousands of survivors who are suffering from cancer, blindness, respiratory diseases, and neurological disorders as a result of inhaling the toxic gas. It is considered one of the worst industrial disasters in the world.