Union Carbide officials convicted

BHOPAL, India - A court on Monday found the Indian unit of US chemical firm Union Carbide and seven Indian former employees guilty of negligence over one of the world's worst industrial accidents that killed thousands in 1984.

Union Carbide plant in the central city of Bhopal accidentally released toxic gases into the air and the government says around 3,500 people died as a result. Activists say 25,000 died in the immediate aftermath and the years that followed.

The verdict is the first in more than 25 years that could lead to jail sentences of up to two years and fines for those convicted, though rights activists said the punishment would be too light.