Bhopal is a city in central India. It is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Bhopal is the second largest city in Madhya Pradesh after Indore. Bhopal is known as the City of Lakes as its landscape is dotted with a number of natural as well as manmade lakes.Historically, Bhopal was also the capital of the Bhopal state. The city attracted international attention as a consequence of the Bhopal disaster, when the Union Carbide plant leaked deadly methyl isocyanate gas during the night of December 3, 1984. The plant was operated by a separate Indian subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited.