Study: Bhopal's drinking water still toxic

BHOPAL, India, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A report issued in connection with the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal, India, chemical disaster says the area's drinking water remains toxic.

The report, released Tuesday by the Bhopal Medical Appeal, says there are still high levels of toxic chemicals in the drinking water supply of 15 communities near the old Union Carbide pesticide plant where the catastrophe occurred.

The report that includes test results from June sampling says the water in and around the Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal still contains extremely unsafe levels of carbon tetrachloride and other persistent organic pollutants, solvents, nickel and other heavy metals. And officials said people in the area suffer high rates of birth defects, rapidly rising cancer rates, neurological damage, chaotic menstrual cycles and mental illness.

The disaster occurred at midnight Dec. 3, 1984, when the plant accidentally released 27 tons of lethal gases, which the government said immediately killed 3,787 people. Others estimate up to 10,000 people died within 72 hours and 25,000 others have since died of gas-related diseases, Wikipedia said.