Gas tragedy in Bhopal: consequences of leak seen in next generation of survivors, says ex-forensic doctor | India News – Times of India

BHOPAL: The effects of toxic gases emitted from the Union Carbide factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal 40 years ago were seen in subsequent generations of those who survived the tragedy, said a former government forensic doctor. At least 3,787 people were killed and over five lakh affected after a toxic gas leaked from the city’s pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.
Dr. DK Satpathy, former head of the forensic department of Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, said at an event held by gas tragedy survivors’ organizations on Saturday that he had conducted 875 autopsies on the first day of the disaster and the next day had witnessed 18,000 autopsies. five years.
Sathpathy claimed that Union Carbide had denied questions about the effects of toxic gases on unborn children of female survivors and that under no circumstances would the effects cross the placental barrier in the womb.
He said blood samples from pregnant women who died in the tragedy were examined and it was found that 50 percent of the toxins found in the mother were also found in the child in her womb.
Children of surviving mothers had the toxins in their systems, and this affected the health of the next generation, Sathpathy claimed and wondered why research into this was stopped.
Such effects will last for generations, he said.
Satpathy said it was said that MIC gas was leaking from the Union Carbide plant, and when it came in contact with water, thousands of gases were formed, and some of these caused cancer, blood pressure and liver damage.
Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said Satpathy, who conducted most of the autopsies, and other first responders to the 1984 disaster, including senior emergency doctors and persons involved in mass burials, shared their experiences during the event told.
Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, will be holding a poster exhibition on every aspect of the disaster till December 4 to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.
An anniversary meeting will be organised, focusing on global corporate crime such as industrial pollution and climate change, she said.