40 years ago, October 10, 1986: 50 Bengal villages inundated

Forty years ago, on October 10, 1986, a relentless downpour in West Bengal's Hooghly, Murshidabad, and Birbhum districts submerged over fifty villages. Simultaneously, landslides between Haraipul and Lams-Hang towns in Assam caused disruptions to train services. In a significant development, investigators apprehended two individuals from New Delhi's Connaught Place who had ties to the assassins of General A S Vaidya and Congress (I) leader Lalit Maken. They were also involved in facilitating the escape of these terrorists from the country.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, a State Transport bus traveling from Kanpur to Rae Bareli plunged 70 feet into the Ganges River due to a collision with a truck. The incident resulted in the death of fifty-seven persons on board. Of the fifty-five victims admitted to Urshala hospital, ten were in critical condition. The bus was en route to Rae Bareli when the mishap occurred.

The tragedy further undermined the credibility of the Reagan administration, which was already facing criticism for its handling of disinformation and deception campaigns against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The resignation of Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Bernard Kelb, added to the administration's woes.