geographical name

City (pop., 2001: 1,437,354), capital of Madhya Pradesh state, India. Situated northwest of Nagpur, it is primarily an industrial city and a major rail junction. It is the site of India's largest mosque and home to several colleges. In 1984 Bhopal became the site of one of the worst industrial accidents in history when tons of toxic gas escaped from a Union Carbide insecticide plant and spread over a densely populated area; the final death toll was estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000, with some half-million survivors suffering various ailments.

This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
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