Sarin gas attackIn 1995, a criminal release of sarin vapour in the Tokyo underground caused the death of twelve people, and 5,000 were injured. Members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday sect. Because of their attack with sarin gas the previous year, in Matsumoto, Japan, in which 7 people were killed and 200 injured, the authorities were prepared for similar acts of terrorism, and antidotes were available to treat those affected in the next attack. For the 1995 incident, this preparation saved many lives. Sarin vapour is a nerve gas so poisonous that a tablespoonful of liquid sarin could kill or disable 25,000 inhabitants if sprayed from the air as a fine mist over a town. Sarin, (C3H7O)P(O)(CH3)F, is a liquid with a boiling point of 147°C, but readily releases vapour in lethal doses at lower temperatures.« |
