Bhopal survivor's plea in aid of victims

A survivor of the gas explosion in Bhopal today called on the Irish people to support the tens of thousands of victims left behind.

Rashida Bee had to flee her home in the wake of the explosion at the Union Carbide pesticide factory in 1984 which was the worst industrial disaster in the world’s history.

Around 7,000 people died within days, 15,000 people died in the following years and another 100,000 people were left with chronic and debilitating illnesses.

Ms Bee, who was to address a meeting in Dublin tonight said she was visiting Ireland to gather support for the campaign to secure adequate compensation for the victims.

“The Irish people have to be part of the campaign and they have to write to the Indian government and to the American government to get them to take responsibility for the clean up,” she said.

A $470m (€359.6m) settlement was agreed between the Indian government and Union Carbide in 1989 but this was based on the incorrect estimate – that only 3,000 people died.

The company was taken over by Dow Chemical Company in 1999.

Ms Bee, leafing through a photo album which showed babies with deformities, said there had been long-lasting consequences from the gas explosion.

“Women are suffering from kidney failure and breast cancer and men are suffering from tuberculosis. Mothers, who were young girls at the time, now can’t breast feed their babies and the water is not clean – it’s poisonous,” she said.

Ms Bee has led protests outside Dow Chemical offices around the world but the company has argued that it acquired no liabilities for the Bhopal disaster when it bought Union Carbide.

“The clean up of the mess hasn’t been done yet and people are not able to pay their medical bills.

“It’s Dow’s responsibility to clean up the mess and help the victims,” said Ms Bee.

The company has a fully-owned subsidiary, Dow Corning Corporation in Midleton, Co Cork, which employs 60 people in research and development.