Which toxic gas was responsible for the Bhopal industrial disaster?

The Bhopal gas tragedy, one of history's worst industrial disasters, occurred on December 2-3, 1984, at the Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The incident involved the release of approximately 42 tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas, causing widespread atmospheric contamination. This toxic gas exposure resulted in thousands of immediate fatalities and left many more with long-term health complications. The disaster highlighted critical failures in industrial safety protocols and emergency response systems.