Lawyer Had Warned Union Carbide 21 Months Before Bhopal Gas Tragedy

However, the US multinational company summarily rejected his allegations, an act which proved costly as the monumental disaster unfolded on the intervening chilly winter night of December 2 and 3, 1984.

Nearly 21 months before the world's worst industrial disaster hit Bhopal, a lawyer had sent a notice to Union Carbide asking it to stop producing toxic gases at its pesticide plant here, citing grave public health risk.

However, the US multinational company summarily rejected his allegations, an act which proved costly as the monumental disaster unfolded on the intervening chilly winter night of December 2 and 3, 1984.

The highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the plant, killing 5,479 persons and maiming more than five lakh others.