The majority of deaths and injuries in the Bhopal disaster were due to:

• A. Flying debris
• B. Fire and smoke inhalation
• C. Toxic gas
• D. Contact with acid

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that inhalation of a highly toxic gas can drive most deaths in a chemical disaster. In Bhopal, a massive release of methyl isocyanate created a dense gas cloud that spread over surrounding areas and stayed near ground level, where people were most exposed. Methyl isocyanate is extraordinarily toxic to the respiratory system, so inhalation can cause rapid irritation, chemical pneumonitis, pulmonary edema, and death from respiratory failure. Many victims were asleep or unaware of the release, so they inhaled a high-dose exposure, leading to a huge number of fatalities and injuries primarily from the gas itself. Fire and smoke inhalation weren’t the main causes here, and contact with acid wasn’t relevant to the primary hazard.