Social Good Engineering Magazine: GineersNow Social Innovation GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 001 | Page 49

The Bhopal Disaster, India
On December 3, 1984, a pesticide
plant leaked methyl isocynate gas and
other chemicals into the atmosphere.
This killed around 4,000 – 20,000
people. The leakage formed a toxic
cloud settling over the region, which
killed 8,000 people in the very first
days mainly from cardiac arrest and
respiratory malfunction.
Photo Source: Greenpeace Italia
Photo Source: IBN Live
SAN JUANICO DISASTER, MEXICO
Texas City Disaster, USA
Photo Source: Greenpeace Italia
The deadliest disaster
occurred on 19 Novem-
ber, 1984, around 20
km away from Mexico
City in a large LPG
storage and distribution
center. It was basically
caused by the LPG pipe
leakage due to excessive
pressure, resulting in
the formation of a vapor
cloud that floated across
the area. When the cloud
ignited, a massive fire
was caused at the plant
site.
Photo Source: Texas History
Oppau Explosion, Germany
America’s worst disaster occurred on
April 16, 1947. A small fire broke out in
a ship that was carrying bags of ammo-
nium nitrate. Immediate attempts were
made to extinguish it. But it soon inten-
sified and led to a massive explosion.
The cause of the explosion was lack of
awareness. However not confirmed, a re-
port says that it is possible that a cigarette
could have been dropped into the hold.
The explosion occurred on
21 September 1921. The store
that dealt with nitrogen fixa-
tion works contained around
4500 tons of ammonium
sulphate nitrate. Unaware of
the highly explosive nature of
ammonium nitrate, the work-
ers at Oppau site decided that
the best way to loosen 4500
tons of ammonium nitrate
was to detonate several
dynamite charges, which led
to an explosive equivalent to
1-2 kilotons of TNT, ripping
off roofs from houses situated
25km away from the site of
explosion.
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Photo Source: SCANZ