This is the front page of The Indian Express published on April 30, 1986. 2 min read Apr 30, 2026 06:40 AM IST First published on: Apr 30, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST The Soviet Union turned to the West for help in putting out a blaze at a stricken nuclear power plant after a cloud of radiation from a leak reached Nordic countries 1,600 km away. As Moscow was reported to have sought advice from both Sweden and West Germany, an expert in Bonn’s nuclear power industry said the request indicated that the nuclear core of a reactor had probably melted. The fire was believed to be still raging at the Chernobyl light water plant, 50 km north of Kiev in the Ukraine. Question of safety The nuclear accident at the Chernobyl power plant in the Ukraine in the Soviet Union has once again highlighted the need to re-examine the question of setting up of nuclear power stations as the most favoured route for energy.…