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May

18- May-1973

A powerful underground explosion rocked India's desert of Rajasthan today, making India the sixth nation in history to set off a nuclear device. The blast, which took place at a depth of 330 feet, was in the range of 10-15 kilotons, smaller than the bomb exploded by the US at Nagasaki in World War II. India is signatory to the 1963 test ban treaty, and thus was prohibited from exploding the device on land or in the air. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi claimed the purpose of the test was peaceful and said 'such explosions may have their use in mining operations'.