On July 10, 1976, a large quantity of toxic chemicals was released into the atmosphere due to overpressure inside a reactor at a chemical plant in Seveso, a city in northern Italy. The toxic cloud spread to 11 villages within a 5-km radius of Seveso in just 15 min. Forty thousand livestock died, and more than 3,000 households were affected by the toxic cloud. Among approximately 400 pregnant women, 51 suffered miscarriages, and over 100 underwent abortions out of fear of giving birth to deformed babies. Many people experienced temporary disfigurement from burns and skin diseases caused by the toxic substances, with children suffering particularly severe damage.