35 years after Bhopal gas tragedy, coronavirus kills 10 survivors

Bhopal’s Ibrahimganj is not unknown to tragedy. Located just over 2 km from the now-abandoned Union Carbide facility, the area was among the most severely affected by the 1984 chemical leak that has killed thousands and left lakhs sick since that December night. The leak of the poisonous methyl isocyanate from the pesticide plant in 1984 had reportedly left the 10 people suffering from medical conditions such as chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular ailments, the comorbidities that made them more vulnerable to Covid-19, which attacks the respiratory system.

However, families allege this wasn’t the only reason their loved ones died. Speaking to ThePrint, they also blamed lack of medical treatment for the deaths. According to them, the patients were turned away by many hospitals, including state-run facilities earmarked to cater to the victims of the 1984 tragedy, which deprived them of timely medical attention.

The state authorities say it’s difficult to ascertain if the patients died for want of medical care, and that they probably weren’t brought to hospitals on time. But the four families ThePrint spoke to narrated a different account, saying at least three of the patients had been diagnosed with Covid-19 after their death.