The World - News from April 21, 1989

India delayed the test launching of its first domestically produced intermediate-range missile after the ignition system of the 7 1/2-ton craft developed a last-minute problem. The Agni missile, with a range of 1,550 miles, was scheduled to be fired from a seaside site in the eastern state of Orissa, about 745 miles southeast of New Delhi, and the government had evacuated about 11,000 people from coastal villages as a precaution. Successful testing of the missile would rank India along with the United States and other major powers in ballistic missile capabilities, and enhance its influence in the region.