Washington: Nine US Congressmen, including Frank Pallone, co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, have filed an amicus brief on behalf of over 20,000 victims of the 1984 Union Carbide chemical disaster in Bhopal.

The New Jersey Congressman and his colleagues urged the US Court of Appeals of Second Circuit to hold Dow Chemical responsible for the disaster.

The brief, initiated by Pallone, comes in response to a March decision by a US District Judge in New York dismissing all claims against the company.

"There is strong support in Congress for holding those responsible for this horrific tragedy accountable for their actions," Pallone said.

"It is unacceptable to allow an American company not only the opportunity to exploit international borders and legal jurisdictions but also the ability to evade civil and criminal liability for environmental pollution and abuses committed overseas," he added.

Dow Chemical acquired Union Carbide Corporation in February 2001 and has yet to accept responsibility or to address liabilities inherited from the Bhopal disaster.

Over the last 19 years, victims have filed numerous lawsuits against the company in an attempt to address health concerns and the tremendous environmental injustices that resulted from the disaster, but to date their claims have remained unanswered.

PTI