4. The 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
On December 3, 1984, a catastrophic gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, exposed over 500,000 people to toxic gases. More than 3,000 immediate deaths were recorded, and an estimated 15,000 died over the following years due to the long-term effects of exposure.
The disaster is considered the worst industrial accident in history, leading to significant regulatory changes in industrial safety and environmental protection.