This is the moment Chinese rocket debris comes hurtling from the sky just feet from houses forcing the closure of a motorway with local residents on high alert.
According to local media, residents of Shanyang County in the north-western Chinese province of Shaanxi claimed they heard a loud bang in the sky before metal debris fell to the earth.
Locals filmed the incident and claimed that the metal parts came from a Chinese rocket.
The debris bore the markings of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a state-owned company involved in the country’s space programme, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the local authorities were called to manage the traffic disruption on a stretch of motorway in the county.
Reports also said that a heavy object that appears to be a part of the rocket’s engine was found in the neighbouring province of Hubei.
The closest satellite launch site, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, is located 630 kilometres (391 miles) away.
The centre claimed that it successfully launched two satellites on a rocket on Tuesday morning.
Shanyang County’s publicity department told local media that the area was a designated landing site for rocket debris, with safety measures already in place.
Meanwhile, reports said that Chinese military personnel were sent to the area to clean up.
A spokesperson said: “Every time before a rocket launch, residents are notified. No one has been harmed due to this.”
However, netizens on Chinese social networking site ‘Weibo’ were not convinced.
One online commentator said: “They have fallen in Shanyang several times. I travel on this stretch of motorway often. The next time I see news of a rocket launch, I won’t go there.”
Another netizen commented: “Agencies never seem to report on situations like this. They launch rockets and media reports say it was a successful mission. But no one cares about where the rocket debris falls.”
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: AsiaWire
