The Bhopal methyl isocyanate release, December 1984
On the night of December 2–3, 1984, water entered Tank 610 at Union Carbide's pesticide plant in Bhopal. It triggered a runaway reaction that vented roughly 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas over the densely settled shantytowns next to the plant. The tank refrigeration was shut off, and the vent gas scrubber and flare tower were inoperative or undersized. Thousands died within days and hundreds of thousands were injured, making it the worst industrial accident on record.