BHOPAL, India, Nov. 27, Reuter; A court battle over compensation for victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster resumed in Bhopal on Friday after settlement talks between India and the Union Carbide Corporation failed.
An Indian government lawyer said talks on an out of court settlement had collapsed but an official of the US. Company said the negotiations would continue, Some 2,500 people were killed ‘and 200,000 injured’ when toxic methyl isocyanine gas leaked from a pesticide plant belonging to Union Carbide’s Indian susidiary on December 2, 1984.
More than half million people, nearly two thirds of Bhopal’s population, have claimed 3.3 billion dollars in compensation from Union Carbide.
“At this stage the negotiations have collapsed. Whether they will be taken up again we do not know”, government attorney Vepa Sarthy said,
‘A Union Carbide official at the hearing said he believed talks were continuing. He declined to be identified.
Sarthy would not disclose the amount of compensation India proposed during the negotiations with the company but he told Reuters it was more than 500 million dollars, He said Union Carbide’s offer was about 300 million dollars.
Judge M.W. Deo drew up a schedule for preliminary issues to be heard in the court, and set December 7 for hearing petitions by victims for interim relief pending final judgment.
Deo noted the delays in resuming the hearing that began last year and which was suspended during the settlement talks.
“Time is fleeing, we must catch up with it”, he said.
He said daily hearings would be held in January.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 4, 1987
