The chemical company responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy was Union Carbide.
The disaster occurred overnight on December 2–3, 1984, at a pesticide plant operated by Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal, India. Water entered a storage tank containing methyl isocyanate, triggering a violent reaction and the release of toxic gas into densely populated neighborhoods. The plant produced carbaryl, an insecticide marketed under the brand name Sevin.
Union Carbide Corporation owned 50.9% of Union Carbide India Limited; Indian investors and government-controlled institutions held the remainder. The death toll remains disputed because official counts and later estimates differ, but thousands died immediately or from long-term effects. In 1989, Union Carbide agreed to a $470 million settlement with the Indian government.
A common mix-up is Dow Chemical, which acquired Union Carbide in 2001—17 years after the disaster. Dow was therefore not the company operating the Bhopal plant when the leak occurred.