40 years ago September 16, 1986: Seoul on high alert

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on September 16, 1986.

2 min readSep 16, 2026 06:40 AM IST First published on: Sep 16, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST

Thousands of National Police officers, backed by military units, were put on full alert in Seoul as the government braced itself for possible further terrorist action following the airport blast. President Chun Doo-Hwan personally inspected the damage at the Gimpo (International) Airport arrival terminal.

Clashes in Srinagar

Several people were injured in Srinagar when students clashed with the police and set a car on fire at Sheikh Bagh, near Lal Chowk. The students were taking out a procession, demanding “justice” in allotment of engineering college seats. The trouble started when students of the Regional Engineering College boycotted their classes alleging that the majority community had not been given proper representation.

Floods claim 17 lives in UP

Floods and widespread rains in Uttar Pradesh claimed 17 lives, official reports said. Twelve people were killed in Rae Bareli district, while five members of a family were drowned while having a bath in the swollen Sarayu river at Ayodhya.

US warning to ‘smaller nations’

While India and other developing countries continue to gather support for their stand against the introduction of services in the new GATT round, the United States warned “smaller and export-dependent nations” that protectionist measures by industrialised countries could have a devastating effect on them.